Things I Have No Money (or time) For But Desperately Want:

To see The Philadelphia Story at The ALEX Theatre on Saturday night. (this may actually happen - I hope it does)

To see the 'sexified' Dracula play at the NoHo Arts Center next weekend.

To see The Scarlet Pimpernel musical at the Glendale Centre Theatre.

To see Tony open for Sara Bareilles at the Hotel Cafe on March 12th.



Yesterday I had a productive day of cleaning, followed by a productive social period wherein I bought 12 books. Yes, twelve. My 'owned-but-unread' shelf on Goodreads has now jumped to 93 books. I was trying to make the number go DOWN... oh well. Not like it'll stop me from buying books. Damn $1 bookstore. 

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.reuters.com/belle-play-title-role-quotmother-christquot-reuters

Yes, please. JRM as both Gabriel and Lucifer. My bad, bad angel put the devil in me...
I smell fanvids galore.
Reminds me of another Christ-era movie in which one of JRM's former co-stars caused a friend to utter one of the best blasphemous libido-induced lines ever: I have to go, Jesus is disrobing.

I'm not one for sitting through po-mo religious epics, but if I can watch Christian Bale as Jesus, I'll be damned if I miss "Joe, as in male. Joe, our coach. Joe, man, Joe" in this.
Plus, it gives me yet another Doctor Who reference very few people will get. And as we all know, blending geekdomes in new and creative ways always gives me a happy.

As does hot men playing dual roles... especially if they wrastle... and there are oils of some kind involved.

If anyone wonders the depth to which even momentary obsession goes for me, especially when it comes to music, I present the following:



Tonight I watched the ShakespeaReTold version of Much Ado About Nothing (side note: quite good, orgy of Tennant co-stars... and I totally never realized Sarah Parish was the Empress of the Racnoss...). I then played the first few minutes of Macbeth. Tishy, I'm saving it for you, so we better watch it so before my patience wavers ;) I watched the first few moments solely for the following video. However, once I heard the song, I wanted to download it... then I realized, I knew the song, but had no idea who sang it. I had two versions in my head, and I could not figure out either one. So I called my mom, put her on speaker phone, played the video and made her help me figure it out. Half an hour later I'd found both artists, but no available version of the song that didn't involve buying a $20 import CD. Lest you think that daunted me, it didn't. Another half hour, and I now have both versions I was thinking of.
FYI, those two artists were Andy Kim and The Ronettes.

And now, I present the prettiness...






Must. Watch. All. Soon.

OK, I love America's Best Dance Crew. It's a cool show. I'm rooting for the cloggers right now. However, right now I'm very disappointed in JC... I know it may not be everyone's 'thing,' but if you're invested in dance (and dance judging) as a career, you could do worse than watch Kenny Ortega movies... because then you'd know what a side plank is. Once you've seen one, they're hard to mistake for anything else. And, um, Zac Efron does them really well... see: Also, tonight was the season premiere of Burn Notice. I've grown accustomed to watching such decent/predictable/mediocre shows (recent exposures on cable/networks, not ones I've already seen and love). Even Leverage, which I really enjoy, is just a 'good' show. Burn Notice is a bloody awesome, fun, intelligent, intriguing, exciting, witty, just plain cool show. It has been from day one, and it continues to be. I give mad credit to the writers, the directors, the showrunners for the look and feel and general awesomeness of the show. But the heart of that show, what makes everything gel together into a fusion of coolness, is the cast. Even though it's Michael's story, it's really an ensemble piece and everyone contributes to making it work. Also, also... am I the only one to be almost wholly bored by this year's Oscar nominees... it really is like some movies are designed by scientists now to get nominations. Even in categories like cinematography, costuming and original song... it's like the Academy only sees a dozen movies and splits votes between those, whether there were better films to fill those nominations or not. It just draws a deeper dividing line between 'movies' and 'films.' And I fucking hate that. It's like the dividing line between 'literature' and 'fiction.' Stupid highbrow, jackass, egotistical fucktards.

I received my first mild-concussion-inducing blow to the head about 3am this morning. Fawesome.

I'm going to take a moment to talk about songs... specifically songs used in films. Specifically (and if you have a problem with this, go read something else, though your film/musical education will be left wanting) music used in the Twilight movie.

I went to see it again yesterday - and just as a side note, it was much more enjoyable sans throngs of giggly teens. Two of whom snuck in at one point and I nearly threw popcorn at the. Had they stayed another two minutes, I would have. They needed to be part of the AARP (Annoying Audience Relocation Program). It's not a great film, but it's enjoyable and entertaining... especially if you've read Twilight in fifteen minutes. But I digress...

One thing that struck me on this viewing was how the soundtrack is used throughout the movie. Now, I've become a fan of the soundtrack pretty much by its own merits, due to not remembering most of my original viewing experience beyond wanting to lick Robert Pattinson and desiring to throttle all the Team Edwardites and Team Jacobites (and those on Team Carlisle, Team Charlie, Team Alice, Team Jasper... ok, not so much Alice and Jasper, because they rock. If Twilight were shown Medieval Times style where everyone cheers for their Team, I'd be in the Team Jasper/Alice section). But I digress again... see what you've done to my brain, Stephenie Meyer...

In any case, I think some part of the soundtrack spoke to me that first viewing, even though I didn't process it, because the soundtrack tunes that I play over and over are pieces central to the movie. And I'm going to talk about them now.
Muse - Supermassive Black Hole: Now, this song could have been used in the swanky Bella and Edward show up arm in arm at school scene, or even in a fight sequence. Instead, it's used for the vampire baseball sequence, which even in the book is pretty silly, but what makes it work in the film are a) the great camera work, b) the awesome old-time baseball uniforms, c) the actor's finally getting to be something other than living paper doll versions of their characters, and d) the music. The way the film is edited around SBH gives the sequence credibility and elevates it from fun and very cheesy to fun, cool, exciting, and just a tad cheesy.
The Black Ghosts - Full Moon: A lot of songs could have been used for the opening sequence. And this is arguably the most important piece of music in the film, because it sets the tone for the whole movie. This song has the perfect blend of acoustic and electric instrumentation, a theme played out throughout, a melodic tune that's also a little dark, a little melancholy, and quite pretty. Coupled with breathtaking shots where the southwest desert merges into the Pacific Northwest, you can understand why leaving Phoenix would be hard, but it also makes the area around Forks look very appealing. Rivers and trees and mist and mountains... almost Tolkien-esque.
Rob Pattinson - Never Think: One of the most important scenes between Bella and Edward pre-vampire confession takes place in a restaurant. Not the most exciting of places. However, between the waitress' awesome hairdo, the creepy guy thinking of his cat, and this lovely, melodic little blues tune playing in the background, awkward conversation never seemed so romantic. Plus, it's beautiful and not in any way cheesy or detracting that while Edward's nervously confessing his ability to read everyone's mind but Bella's, his voice warbles through a lovely tune.
Debussy - Clair de Lune / Carter Burwell - Bella's Lullaby: On the soundtrack, these are two seperate songs, but in the film they blend seamlessly from one into the other. From Edward's bedroom to flying through trees, to talking in them while overlooking some gorgeous Northwest scenery, to Bella and Edward alone with Edward plinking out her lullaby... it's one of the most romantic montages in any teen movie, and far superior to the faux-sex scene in the meadow. Also, it's nice that at least for the first bit of it, Pattinson is actually playing the lullaby, not just banging on keys that obviously aren't right as pretty music magically plays.
Rob Pattinson - Let Me Sign: Much darker than the other tune, less romance and more bluesy/rock angst, but angst with emotional power. It's a really good song on its own, but fits into the movie like they planned it to (and maybe they did) - the height of its emotional power comes right at the defining moment in the future of Edward and Bella. Once again, while the screen's focus is mostly on Bella, having 'Edward's' voice the one driving the music, it pushes the emotionality of the moment to a higher level.
Iron & Wine - Flightless Bird American Mouth: I think this is going to be the song of a lot of winter/spring formal dances in 2009. It's a beautiful little modern waltz tune, and when coupled with the sparkling outdoor gazebo, Edward's pouty eyes and lips, and the sensual moment of almost bite-age... well, THAT is why girls love Edward Cullen.
Plus, he's an angel marble cupcake Adonis...

Sheer brilliance. L-O-V-E it.

Dr. Who Opening: Firefly Style


And because it's doubly awesome - Dr. Who Opening: The Tudors Style

This kid amazes me. So articulate and clever and hysterically funny.

Damn internets. The video is down, but you can watch the episode on Hulu.com...

For now it seems that you, myspace blog, will be home of entertainment ramblings. So here we go. Damn Whedons. As if I weren't obsessed enough with Dr. Horrible, you had to go and make Commentary! The Musical so bloody addicting. I go through my days singing 'Better Than Neil' and 'Ten Dollar Solo,' knowing I'm a huge fucking nerd who fights the urge to play Ninja Ropes. Due to my next disc of ER being craptacular and not working, I watched another acquisition the other night: War, Inc. aka Grosse Pointe Blank: The Sequel. Only more warped, darker, much more political and weirder. It was entertaining to be sure, even though there were times I was thinking: wtf is this and what does it have to do with the rest of the movie? But it all more or less made sense in the end, and I could watch John Cusack kill people all day long. And fight Ben Kingsley in a garbage truck. And basically be an even more jaded Martin Blank. Also, the dvd had a preview of a Cusack movie I have never heard of, with Morgan Freeman and running in the woods and shooting... it is on my Netflix list now :) My innards are tingling for the arrival of a certain CD that will hopefully come this week with music from a certain show about a certain timelord who breaks my heart. The music breaks my heart, too. But in a 'sad is happy for deep people' kind of way... Last night I watched Sanctuary, again. I still don't really get the appeal of the show, but a couple of the characters are cool. But *spoiler* They killed my Methos. Fuckers. Needless to say after the annoyance that showed caused me, I had to go watch some Highlander. Such torture. Such a burden seeing Methos all badass and shirtless. I started a list of movies I want to see this year... perhaps I'll list those and explain why they appeal to me in the next post. For now, I really, really, really, REALLY want to see Inkheart. Like, now. Can now be two weeks from now so I can see it already?

Things I have learned from watching the Highlander episode, "Deliverance' (how I missed this one my first time through season 4, I have no idea):

When you experience a dark quickening, it causes you not only to go after friends to kill them, it also makes you lose all driving skills and walk through fields of leaves in the most emotastic way possible.

When you phase from 'normal' self into 'dark' self, the world turns grainy for a few seconds, like underexposed film... or a grain filter in editing software...

Methos will be reminded, yet again, that he is merely 'Adam Pierson: the researcher in charge of Methos history who doesn't belong in the field with other Watchers.'

Your enlightening spring will glow neon, like a blue-green lava lamp.

Your dark side looks just like you, but has a deeper voice and calls you 'Dunky.'

No matter how many times you try to stab, run over, or decapitate Methos, he will still try to save you. (this bit is my favorite) He will even leave his dying love to come save you. (seriously, Methos = love)

When you finally defeat your alter ego, your quickening will be a shower of water and blue sparks... like a giant blue sparkler raining down over your head.


Now I'm being distracted by Leverage, with Christian Kane's long, fluffy hair and Russian mobsters drinking wodka, because it is their ways.