I'm moving away from blogger. It's been a good run, but I've been working with Wordpress a lot and I like it a bunch. So I'm breaking up with blogger, but there are no hard feelings. At least I don't have any hard feelings. Blogger might. I hope not, since they are more powerful and rich than I am, and could squash me like a wee bug.
I hope you'll follow me over there. Now that I have an easier-to-work-with platform I'll be updating a lot more often. Give me a day or so to get it set up, and head on over to:
www.notalwaysaboutmonkeys.wordpress.com
Some day I'll get my own domain name, but not until I have that extra $10 per year.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Oh, Kevin Costner
I think it's pretty apparent that I have a penchant for crappy TV and movies. I enjoy trite plot lines and overacting. That's not to say that I don't love great cinema, or that I don't have a discerning eye or great taste or anything - because I do have/do all those things, but I enjoy some crap every now and again. Just like I like to eat McDonald's or KFC or Taco Bell. Sure, I feel pretty bad about myself afterward, but it was kind of worth it, too. I might be wallowing in a greasy ball of shame, but it is a delicious greasy ball of shame.
There are certain movies that whenever they are on TV, I watch them. A League of Their Own is one of those movies. But I'm not going to talk about that movie (or PCU, or The Fifth Element), though I will likely tell you all about the finer points of all those movies in the future. Tonight I'm going to say a few words on The Bodyguard, starring Whitney Houston (pre-coked-up hot mess madness) and Kevin (I Have No Facial Expressions) Costner.
I will say one thing. They both do OK in this movie, because neither of them are acting. Kevin Costner is the same guy he was in, say, Dances with Wolves, or even A Perfect World (which I actually love). He's expressionless, gruff, reticent...you know, Costner-ish. Whitney Houston is an absolute vision - she's beautiful, she has an undeniably gorgeous voice, and her performance is not laughable, even though it's not very believable during the actual acting parts (ie her interaction with other actors). All in all it's not bad. For a first movie, it's actually pretty OK.
My main beef is with Michele Lamar Richards, who plays Whitney's jealous and (spoiler alert!) murder-conspiring sister. She's only done a handful of films (one was a vehicle for MC Lyte - just imagine) and a LOT of TV. I've not seen any of that, so I can't pass judgment on her as an actor in THOSE things. But in The Bodyguard she's just awful. She alternates between looking terrified and looking drunk (BESIDES the scene where she actually is supposed to be drunk) and then in her pivotal scene where she IS drunk and she's telling all about how she hired someone to kill her sister she looks like she's going to sneeze the whole time. Then she gets killed, so there is no chance of her acting her way back out of that.
Backing up though, there is that scene where Kevin Costner and his dad are walking around outside and the sister's out on the porch singing "Jesus Loves Me" and I'm sitting here thinking WHO DOES THAT? Who goes out to some stranger's cabin in the middle of the damn woods when you've hired someone to KILL your SISTER and sings "Jesus Loves Me" in a self-conscious way. Plus, isn't hard to sing in the cold? Don't your vocal cords get all cold and stuff? Inquiring minds want to know.
You judge:
And another thing. It's just a leetle too convenient that the hired killer turns out to be Kevin Costner's character's old partner or coworker or whatever. We meet him earlier in the movie and Whitney Houston makes out with him a little and he's all pushy and stuff.
Wait a minute. Is that how it ends? I said I always watch it when it's on TV, but that doesn't mean I usually finish it. Being self righteously critical is exhausting, you know?
So, recap. Shoulder pads, inappropriate singing, silver pop helmets, murderous sisters. Sorry I didn't get to the shoulder pads or the silver pop helmet. Always leave 'em wanting more, my grandma always says.
There are certain movies that whenever they are on TV, I watch them. A League of Their Own is one of those movies. But I'm not going to talk about that movie (or PCU, or The Fifth Element), though I will likely tell you all about the finer points of all those movies in the future. Tonight I'm going to say a few words on The Bodyguard, starring Whitney Houston (pre-coked-up hot mess madness) and Kevin (I Have No Facial Expressions) Costner.
I will say one thing. They both do OK in this movie, because neither of them are acting. Kevin Costner is the same guy he was in, say, Dances with Wolves, or even A Perfect World (which I actually love). He's expressionless, gruff, reticent...you know, Costner-ish. Whitney Houston is an absolute vision - she's beautiful, she has an undeniably gorgeous voice, and her performance is not laughable, even though it's not very believable during the actual acting parts (ie her interaction with other actors). All in all it's not bad. For a first movie, it's actually pretty OK.
My main beef is with Michele Lamar Richards, who plays Whitney's jealous and (spoiler alert!) murder-conspiring sister. She's only done a handful of films (one was a vehicle for MC Lyte - just imagine) and a LOT of TV. I've not seen any of that, so I can't pass judgment on her as an actor in THOSE things. But in The Bodyguard she's just awful. She alternates between looking terrified and looking drunk (BESIDES the scene where she actually is supposed to be drunk) and then in her pivotal scene where she IS drunk and she's telling all about how she hired someone to kill her sister she looks like she's going to sneeze the whole time. Then she gets killed, so there is no chance of her acting her way back out of that.
Backing up though, there is that scene where Kevin Costner and his dad are walking around outside and the sister's out on the porch singing "Jesus Loves Me" and I'm sitting here thinking WHO DOES THAT? Who goes out to some stranger's cabin in the middle of the damn woods when you've hired someone to KILL your SISTER and sings "Jesus Loves Me" in a self-conscious way. Plus, isn't hard to sing in the cold? Don't your vocal cords get all cold and stuff? Inquiring minds want to know.
You judge:
And another thing. It's just a leetle too convenient that the hired killer turns out to be Kevin Costner's character's old partner or coworker or whatever. We meet him earlier in the movie and Whitney Houston makes out with him a little and he's all pushy and stuff.
Wait a minute. Is that how it ends? I said I always watch it when it's on TV, but that doesn't mean I usually finish it. Being self righteously critical is exhausting, you know?
So, recap. Shoulder pads, inappropriate singing, silver pop helmets, murderous sisters. Sorry I didn't get to the shoulder pads or the silver pop helmet. Always leave 'em wanting more, my grandma always says.
Friday, September 11, 2009
I Write, You Know
So, what's new with me? What? Nobody asked? Don't care. I'm going to tell you anyway.
I have an awesome part time job writing for a fantastic SEO Company full of terribly nice people. Among other things, I write a blog about Richmond that talks about the best of the city and highlights certain things and people and places. It's www.richmondvapresents.com and I would love it if you'd visit it let me know what you think. Also, if you're a Richmonder and have a business or thing (not THAT thing, you perv) you'd like me to write about, I'll consider it. :)
I am in graduate school and beating my head against a wall for taking three (3) THREE literature-intensive classes this semester. The reading alone is enough to blind you, and on top of that you're expected to be able to form cohesive thoughts and scholarly opinions about things. Don't let me fool you - I love it, but I'm totally overwhelmed and freaking out.
Those are the two main things going on in my life other than The Hubs, The Rents, The Cat, The Dog, and The House, which are all doing pretty good and say hi, Internet.
Off to the weekend, which will not feel like a weekend at all because I have to do a ton of work and write a paper, prepare a presentation, and read practically everything Oscar Wilde ever wrote. But it will be fun, so who needs a weekend?
I have an awesome part time job writing for a fantastic SEO Company full of terribly nice people. Among other things, I write a blog about Richmond that talks about the best of the city and highlights certain things and people and places. It's www.richmondvapresents.com and I would love it if you'd visit it let me know what you think. Also, if you're a Richmonder and have a business or thing (not THAT thing, you perv) you'd like me to write about, I'll consider it. :)
I am in graduate school and beating my head against a wall for taking three (3) THREE literature-intensive classes this semester. The reading alone is enough to blind you, and on top of that you're expected to be able to form cohesive thoughts and scholarly opinions about things. Don't let me fool you - I love it, but I'm totally overwhelmed and freaking out.
Those are the two main things going on in my life other than The Hubs, The Rents, The Cat, The Dog, and The House, which are all doing pretty good and say hi, Internet.
Off to the weekend, which will not feel like a weekend at all because I have to do a ton of work and write a paper, prepare a presentation, and read practically everything Oscar Wilde ever wrote. But it will be fun, so who needs a weekend?
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Awesome
I should have titled this post "Only read this if you know the movie "Dirty Dancing" inside and out, but I was afraid that would scare off new readers.
So, I'm freaking out about grad school. I've stepped in it with my boss. I'm generally in an 11:38 PM place where I haven't gotten enough done and I am alternating between tears and hysterical laughter. Just another Thursday night.
So for background I put on "Dirty Dancing" because it was on TV the other day and I caught a minute or two and then I went to Best Buy to try to buy Wonderfalls and it (Dirty Dancing - the 20th Anniversary Edition) was on sale for $7, so I bought it.
A few pieces of criticism, as it makes me feel like I'm in control of my life (and I'm obviously not).
When Neil comes to Johnny to tell him that he wants to switch up the final dance of the season from something other than the Mambo, and Johnny shows him a few steps of the thing Johnny has in mind before Neil totally jocks him, those steps? Those are the ONLY steps the whole "staff" does at the end of the movie, while Jennifer Gray is standing there smiling maniacally and swishing her skirt. Really? Maybe he should have tried to verbally conceptualize the dance instead of showing off the ONLY MOVES that he planned on putting into this revolutionary final dance.
The 80's music injected into a period piece? Not so great. Although I did learn how to play "She's Like the Wind" on piano, that song "Yes" that they play when the sister is walking to get some for the first time with Robbie? And the use of "Hungry Eyes?" Not so good. Granted, I owned this soundtrack on cassette when I was 10 and found no fault in it whatsoever, I chalk that up to the fact that every girl wanted to be mousy ol' Baby and find a hunky dancing Patrick Swayze to adore her and declare that she shouldn't be put in a corner. Didn't help that Jennifer Gray went and got decidedly un-mousy and let all us mousy girls down.
The lift at the end? From a pure dancing perspective (and I do have some authority to say so, since I did dance semi-professionally for a little while) it wasn't so clever. Baby nods, gets lifted to the jumping point, runs at Johnny, and then just stays suspended in the air while everyone claps. Like a dog show, but with prettier clothes.
This is what I do when I'm freaked out. I ply you guys with semi-valid observations about 80's movies. I've just put on Moonstruck, wherein I'll roll around on the floor and wallow in my lack of productivity and mind-numbing fear.
So, I'm freaking out about grad school. I've stepped in it with my boss. I'm generally in an 11:38 PM place where I haven't gotten enough done and I am alternating between tears and hysterical laughter. Just another Thursday night.
So for background I put on "Dirty Dancing" because it was on TV the other day and I caught a minute or two and then I went to Best Buy to try to buy Wonderfalls and it (Dirty Dancing - the 20th Anniversary Edition) was on sale for $7, so I bought it.
A few pieces of criticism, as it makes me feel like I'm in control of my life (and I'm obviously not).
When Neil comes to Johnny to tell him that he wants to switch up the final dance of the season from something other than the Mambo, and Johnny shows him a few steps of the thing Johnny has in mind before Neil totally jocks him, those steps? Those are the ONLY steps the whole "staff" does at the end of the movie, while Jennifer Gray is standing there smiling maniacally and swishing her skirt. Really? Maybe he should have tried to verbally conceptualize the dance instead of showing off the ONLY MOVES that he planned on putting into this revolutionary final dance.
The 80's music injected into a period piece? Not so great. Although I did learn how to play "She's Like the Wind" on piano, that song "Yes" that they play when the sister is walking to get some for the first time with Robbie? And the use of "Hungry Eyes?" Not so good. Granted, I owned this soundtrack on cassette when I was 10 and found no fault in it whatsoever, I chalk that up to the fact that every girl wanted to be mousy ol' Baby and find a hunky dancing Patrick Swayze to adore her and declare that she shouldn't be put in a corner. Didn't help that Jennifer Gray went and got decidedly un-mousy and let all us mousy girls down.
The lift at the end? From a pure dancing perspective (and I do have some authority to say so, since I did dance semi-professionally for a little while) it wasn't so clever. Baby nods, gets lifted to the jumping point, runs at Johnny, and then just stays suspended in the air while everyone claps. Like a dog show, but with prettier clothes.
This is what I do when I'm freaked out. I ply you guys with semi-valid observations about 80's movies. I've just put on Moonstruck, wherein I'll roll around on the floor and wallow in my lack of productivity and mind-numbing fear.
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