you are so little & petite, but to me you are extra, extra sweet

I can thrill you more than any ghost would ever dare try

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:22:00 GMT

(I will always, always love this song. ♥ Even though the video scared the shit out of me as a kid.)

Well, I was Sally. First the plan was Coraline, then Belle, then Sally when I panicked two weeks ago and was like "SHIT I GOTTA FIND SOMETHING." I had a bit of creative guilt because I store-bought it, instead of putting it together piece-by-piece as I often do, but alas, it looked cool. That is me with David (original!Mad Hatter) and our friend Kelly (Mia Wallace, who I was in '05). It was raining early on, so we took refuge in Starbucks and the student center, but it did let up after a while.

MOAR PICS:

We were walking along and suddenly the whole set of Teletubbies came spilling out of a brownstone. Classic. And then a drag queen rushed up and got a photo with them.

Phantom and The Crow (me in '06)

Buzz Lightyear to the rescue! I suggested Halloween Bingo (see end of post) and this is where David started kicking my ass. BALLS.

Nurse Joker! There were surprisingly many Jokers; I guess they all thought no one would do it this year, but alas.

We were walking along and David suddenly yelled "STAY-PUFT MARSHMALLOW MAN! WE'RE CROSSING THE STREET!!" and we, like, chased him around. It was pretty good. That's one of many, many Mario/Luigi sets, too.

I kinda scared Captain America, but I loved that he was hanging out outside my home-away-from-home (well, along with the movie theatre), Forbidden Planet. ♥

Every year I see at least one Edward Scissorhands, and I saw several this time around, but I thought it was poetic that he was texting.

Win! Harley, Joker and Catwoman! (From my Facebook quotes section: "'Harley [Quinn], bc then I'm the Joker, which is fitting because I am pasty, eccentric and I have a smile that many people find unsettling.' -- David, on our complementary supervillain identities, via text")

Stewie--I would have liked to have heard if he could do the voice. BTW, the FG cast on "Inside the Actors' Studio" was priceless. "You've said before that you love God because he's so deliciously evil." "Have you read the Old Testament?" "Yes." "Good Lord, there's some fucked-up shit in there!"

Reasonably terrifying Predator.

YES. FOREVER. (At this point we were basically in the parade, incidentally.)

Jesus! He actually carried that thing! God was on David's bingo, and he said to Kelly "If you see God, let me know. [pause] Or Nixon." Out of context, that's just outstanding.

Braveheart, who was very nice. "I like you too, Corpse Bride! ...I mean, no, wait, the other thing!"

...what is this i don't even

Scrabble!

Marilyn Manson, I think. He asked for a photo with me, and I said yes, of course, and then he got way up on me and put his arm around my waist. Heh. But he had a cool Jack Skellington tattoo on his wrist, so it was OK. I was like "yeah, where is that bastard?! I haven't seen him all night!" I saw one, but he didn't see me. :(

Once the rain stopped the parade kicked up again, kinda, and these steel drums dudes were playing "Human Nature." Yay!

Probably the best Gaga I saw all night, and I saw a lot. There was a similarly-dressed Gaga-dude at Cozy Soup 'N' Burger, though. (We went for a wee snack, and we were seated next to a Two-Face/Riddler guy/girl combo.)

One of many MJs. He was very nice. You can't see the greenness in my face here--I did a layer of white and then blended with green--but oh well.

Every year I see a Leeloo and every year I am jealous. I'm gonna be her someday. (Like Kelly on "The Office" the other night--how outstanding was Ryan as Edward Cullen? I didn't even realize, but A+++++.)

OK, so this is David's bingo. He didn't win-win, but he got more than I did, so I owe him a candy bar. >:( This was MY IDEA! ZOUNDS! He was a lot less specific and less ~awesomely creative~, so no wonder he won. Hmmph.

And here's mine. *kicks carpet* A bit too obscure, yes. BUT WTF NO BEAR JEW?! FAIL, NYC! FAIL! And I swear I'm gonna be Cas next year just to stick it to 'em. GOD.

(These are all copy-pasted from Facebook--there are a few more there, but these are the good ones.) So, once again, another lovely Halloween in NYC. The rain was a super-fail, but at least it stopped in time to see stuff. I think I might watch Nosferatu tomorrow because I don't want to work on my stupid poetry paper.

Writer's Block: Seeing stars

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:43:17 GMT

Which character from any film, television show, or book would you most like to take on a date and why?

Submitted By blue_mariposa88

View 2242 Answers

So, OK, clearly this is the perfect question for me, since I generally prefer fictional people, and my answers to this would include Jim Halpert, James "Sawyer" Ford, Callie Torres, Howard Roark, Remus Lupin, Desmond Hume, Greg House, Ned the Pie Maker [isn't it weird that we never got a last name]?, basically any of the ladies from Death Proof, Ferris Bueller, Tony Stark and about a thousand others...and also this beautiful, badass, puppy-eyed smiting motherfucker right here:

NO, BUT, SERIOUSLY, I NEED TO EXPLAIN: I am a fangirl of the highest order, and I have a great bevy of celeb/character crushes and my life is ruined if I miss my shows and I read fic and I write fic and all that stuff. HOWEVER, it usually takes a lot to impress me. A character has really got to stand out and have multiple shipping possibilities and be layered and interesting and all kinds of things to catch my eye. And actors--well, you've got to impress me with not only your acting and your project choices, but in RL as well: we've gotta have stuff in common; I have to approve of your romantic partner(s), your chosen habitat, your politics, your interview style, your attitude about the fame game and towards fans [this is a big one], etc, etc, etc. It is, most decidedly, serious business. And only a handful of people truly make the cut. And because I need to evaluate so much criteria, it usually takes a while for me to truly wig over someone.

But no more. I started watching "Supernatural" this very season--the premiere was on 10 September--and like most insane things in my life, it can be traced back to "Lost": I watched the season finale and just completely flipped over Jacob; I thought he was a fascinating character and so wonderfully serene and clever [and I have a ridiculous fondness for polyglots--o hai, Connor and Murphy, I'll see you this weekend, bbs] and I adored the way Mark Pellegrino played him, and I freaked out that I had to wait until February for more...anything, really. Then I found out he was gonna be Lucifer on SPN, and I am always really fascinated by portrayals of the devil, so I was like 'OK, this works, I'll just watch his eps and leave it at that.' Everything I had heard about the SPN fandom scared me to death--the shipping wars, the J2 fanatics, the Con madness--and I hate getting into shows even a little bit later, let alone four seasons. Plus, I have too many shows already. So it seemed the sane choice to just pop in and pop out and, you know, not become a crazy bitch. But...that's what I am. There is no denying that.

So imagine my surprise/bewilderment when it's six episodes into the season, and I have seen all of those episodes plus 4x01, and I am so tearfully, maniacally, batshittishly obsessed with Castiel/Misha that I'm just gonna shoot myself in the face. I love the way Cas is fascinated with humanity and doesn't quite understand it and the way he's been fired, as it were, from heaven, and now he's in this crazy in-between place and he's searching for God and trying not to have doubts and HOLY BALLS ON A STICK, DO I SHIP DEAN/CAS LIKE FUCKING FEDEX and 5x03 was killing me with cute, with the tie-adjusting and the "personal space" and the scary, scary brothel and the "now you're my little bitch" and don't even get me started on "The End." And, you know, I really like it otherwise--it's very snarky and amusing and exciting and I really like the effects and the mythology and I'm totally a Deangirl because he's just such a hilarious, awesome frat boy. And Misha himself is so hilarious and weird and fascinated/alarmed by all the shipping and completely delightful in interviews and interesting (FURNITURE WHITE HOUSE RUSSIA WHAT???) and snarky on Twitter and I need to go lie down or something. Seriously. Zero to insanity in about a month. THIS DOES NOT COMPUTE. WTF.

Also: holy shit blue eyes.

This is entirely your fault, coffeebits. As well as almost everyone at statements and fandomsecrets. DEFINITELY that second one. And ONTD a little bit, too. WTF. *FLAILS*

(I do still love Mark, though. I wrote a short story for class partially inspired by his performance that I will be posting once I revise. JSYK.)

So now, of course, I've had to do that thing that you do when you get obsessed with a moderately-famous actor--watch tons of episodes of network serials on which they have guest-starred: "CSI," "CSI: NY," "NCIS," "Without A Trace," "Nip/Tuck" (so completely NSFW, but I laughed so hard I almost cried), "ER"--

(...uh...what was I saying?) and several S1 episodes of "24" that I'll now need to track down, which led to this truly outstanding exchange between jean_prouvaire and myself:

la_petite_singe (8:35:40 PM): "For some reason he punched me in the throat in one scene, and it hurt to swallow for a week." -- my SPN boyfriend on Kiefer.
la_petite_singe (8:35:47 PM): (i had to share that.)
jean_prouvaire (8:35:52 PM): ...Kiefer. XD
jean_prouvaire (8:36:19 PM): I love the 'for some reason.' like it wasn't even part of the script and Kiefer just did it for the joy of punching someone.
la_petite_singe (8:37:00 PM): he expected it would be some more "namby-pamby stage combat," but apparently he just "came barreling into the scene and...you know...*flail* punched me in the throat."
jean_prouvaire (8:37:07 PM): ahahahahahaaha
la_petite_singe (8:37:40 PM): well, first when they asked about 24 he said "is this gonna be a resource for some slash fic?"
la_petite_singe (8:37:44 PM): THIS IS WHY I LOVE HIM
jean_prouvaire (8:37:47 PM): HEE
jean_prouvaire (8:37:50 PM): okay, awesome'
la_petite_singe (8:38:08 PM): and the fangirls screamed and i was like "...well, now it is. dummy."
jean_prouvaire (8:38:17 PM): *snort*
jean_prouvaire (8:38:49 PM): I just remember how magnificently pissy Eric Balfour's character was.
la_petite_singe (8:38:54 PM): yay!
jean_prouvaire (8:38:57 PM): "I hate you all so much, JUST BECAUSE."
la_petite_singe (8:39:00 PM): <3
jean_prouvaire (8:39:21 PM): oh, and he referred to your boyfriend's character as "Johnny Cool Guy" for some reason.
la_petite_singe (8:40:10 PM): who, alexis whatsit?
jean_prouvaire (8:40:21 PM): and there was a hilarious scene where there was this big conspiracy going on and the job they brought him in to do was being sabotaged, but nobody would tell him about it, so they were like "...Milo, why don't you go format some files or something"
jean_prouvaire (8:40:51 PM): and he has this epic tantrum in the middle of a hallway and bellows "I DIDN'T COME HERE AT FIVE IN THE MORNING TO FORMAT FILES."
jean_prouvaire (8:40:57 PM): yep. XD
jean_prouvaire (8:41:25 PM): anyway, yeah. season 1 brought the lolz.
la_petite_singe (8:41:25 PM): HEEEE. why don't i watch this show?!
jean_prouvaire (8:41:32 PM): I don't know! you should!
la_petite_singe (8:41:35 PM): i mean, y'know, in the past.
jean_prouvaire (8:41:41 PM): yeeeeeah. now it's shit.
jean_prouvaire (8:41:47 PM): but the first five seasons were great.
la_petite_singe (8:41:52 PM): :-D maybe we can have an S1 party over x-mas
jean_prouvaire (8:42:06 PM): and season 6 blew, but it did have lots of shirtless Balfour action, so. not a total loss.
jean_prouvaire (8:42:10 PM): yes! that would be awesome.
la_petite_singe (8:42:19 PM): \o/
jean_prouvaire (8:42:22 PM): \o/
la_petite_singe (8:42:56 PM): awww, i wish ZQ and eric and misha were in the same eps.
la_petite_singe (8:43:01 PM): that would be like a cornucopia of awesome
jean_prouvaire (8:43:07 PM): I knooooow. I am sad that they weren't.
jean_prouvaire (8:43:11 PM): it would indeed be awesome.
la_petite_singe (8:43:39 PM): that would be a resource for some damn slash fic.
jean_prouvaire (8:43:53 PM): hells yes, it would. :9
la_petite_singe (8:44:21 PM): something involving jack getting drunk and a christmas tree. we could call it "O Tannebaum: The Night Shit Got Real at CTU."
jean_prouvaire (8:44:27 PM): HEEEE
jean_prouvaire (8:44:30 PM): yes!
la_petite_singe (8:45:26 PM): ...i am in a weird mood
la_petite_singe (8:45:31 PM): and now i can't stop laughing
la_petite_singe (8:45:32 PM): and snorting

If you don't get the Christmas tree reference, you're not spending enough time online. Here is the vid in which he talks about "24," btw.

So, um, yeah. I'm in love. Alarmingly, twirlingly in love. And I'll be catching up on S1-4 over winter hiatus and bouncing impatiently through 1-3 since he's only in 4. (But yay, JDM!) And incidentally, what the hell is up with Boston?! Is there some sort of Inconveniently Hot Man Factory up there that I don't know about?! I'm a Philadelphian/New Yorker and I'm pretty sure that means I'm supposed to hate Boston on principle, but there's Misha, J-Kras, Ben & Matt (and Casey), Eli Roth, Adrian Pasdar, Matthew Perry...ffs. It's out of hand. I gotta get up there or something. (Also, David was pondering about his early-decision law school the other day, and mentioned UChicago, and I voted for that one because "that's where my 'Supernatural' boyfriend went." I think he took it into serious consideration.)

The end. I need a fangirl Xanax. A Fanax.

I already have my ticket for This Is It and I'm going tomorrow at 7:00. I am going to be dancing, singing and crying in my seat. I will be a delight to sit next to. But really, I wanted to see that tour so bad. :( Last night we were choosing our ten desert-island songs--this is what we do in mi casa at 1:00 AM, and it's the hardest thing ever; I'm still trying to finalize my list--and, agreeing that we'd probably be on the same island and shouldn't overlap, I chose "Billie Jean" and David chose "Thriller." Sometimes he has that as his wake-up ringtone, so I'm sitting here eating cereal and it's "DARKNESS FALLS THROUGHOUT THE LAND...THE MIDNIGHT HOUR IS CLOSE AT HAND!" Love it. (Halloween, yay!) ♥

you gotta find somebody to love

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:13:05 GMT

First things first:

Happy birthday, la_belle_ange!
I hope you have a marvelous day! ♥♥♥♥

Second things second: The Romantic Comedy Meme

The irony of this is, of course,t that I don't really like romcoms at all. They're predictable and silly. I hate when the main two people just get together and break up halfway through and then waste 40 minutes not being together when you know they're gonna get back together eventually...but these are the rules of the meme, and it was too much fun to resist. When the Post-Apocalyptic Action Romantic Thriller Meme comes along, let me know.

-THE CAST-

Me: Anne Hathaway
Everyone says I look like her (although this was mostly around The Princess Diaries; when she started doing hotter roles it was like "yeah...sorta" and by the leather catsuit in Get Smart, it was alike "...um...around the face, maybe." *facepalm* But whatever, I think she's just zany enough to play me, and she's musical, and besides, she's pals with Hugh Jackman too.

True Love: Lee Pace
I like 'em tall, sweet and shy, and he's just perfect. And if he can bake, so much the better. (And his character would have to be an animal lover, too. That's essential.)

The Mistake: Colin Farrell
He would undoubtedly be a musician of some sort, and he'd be all accent-y and tattooed and I'd just flip and then come to regret it. I don't think we'd end up enemies by the end, though; I think it'd be a Center Stage kinda thing: "You're an amazing guitarist/drummer/singer, but as a boyfriend...you kinda suck."

True Love's Best Friend: Jim Parsons
For some reason I can just see those boys as pals. He'd be kind of brilliant and snarky, to contrast the True Love's sweetness. Kind of a combination of his characters on TBBT and Garden State. "By the way, it says 'BALLS' on your face."

The Rival: Megan Fox
I cannot explain why this girl just bugs me so much. She gives semi-tomboys a bad name, because she's all, 'oh, I'm just more ~comfortable~ around guys,' but secretly she just does 'em all.

Mom: Sally Field
My mom already thinks she's friends with her IRL (her son is in my year here at school), and she just has that perfect sunny, opinionated, Mom's-rules-are-the-only-rules, youthful-yet-tragically-unhip thing going on.

Dad: Bruce Willis
Not much physical resemblence, but they both definitely have that perpetually-annoyed, hilarious-rant, overprotecive tough guy thing.

Best Friend: Isla Fisher
She picked Isla herself, and I must agree--she's got just the right blend of sweetness and silliness, and she's a fab redhead.

Sister/Brother: Rutina Wesley, Bill Hader
I've only seen three or four episode of "True Blood," but Tara reminds me rather a lot of my stepsister--loyal to her friends, doesn't suffer fools gladly, very dry sense of humor. (And she likes the show, too.) And I don't have a brother, but if I did, I would hope he'd be that adorable/hilarious sort that Hader portrays so well.

Gay Best Friend: Zach Quinto
I'm sorry, I had to. I've seen bits of "So NoTORIous," and he's hilarious and awesome. He just seems way too fun to hang around with.

Pet: black-and-white cat
Definitely my favorite, although I don't know why. Name possibilities include: Astrid (from White Oleander), Dominique (from The Fountainhead), or if I get more than one, Paolo/Francesca.

City: NYC
Is there anywhere else?

-THE SOUNDTRACK-

Opening Credits: Skeleton Song - Kate Nash
And even though when I take you out
You’ve got me, you’ve got me standing in an awkward position
With unwanted attention and a need for explanation
I could, I could never let you go
And that is all I know

Falling in Love: The Calculation - Regina Spektor
So we made our own computer out of macaroni pieces
And it did our thinking while we lived our lives
It counted up our feelings and divided them up even
And it called that calculation perfect love

The Kiss: The Starlit Hour - Ella Fitzgerald
But tonight let us forget tomorrow
Here under the midnight blue
Love will bloom and flower
In the starlit hour with you

Sex: Loving You - Paolo Nutini
So many people think we've got it wrong
They'll try to break us but we won't play along
so let's get down and dirty, baby
Let's get restless, baby
Come on get crazy with me

The Break Up: Get Gone - Fiona Apple
How can I deal with this, if he won't get with this
Am I gonna heal from this; he won't admit to it
Nothing to figure out; I gotta get him out
It's time the truth was out that he don't give a shit about me
How many times can it escalate
Till it elevates to a place I can't breathe?

The Psychological Breakdown: 5:55 - Charlotte Gainsbourg
(Geez, what kind of hardcore movie is this?)
À cinq heures cinquante-cinq
Nothing will ever change on the altar of my thought
I sacrifice myself again and again and again
Five fifty-five
Five fifty-five

(ETA: This came up on my shuffle today and I decided to add it because it's perfect)
The Hook-Up With The Mistake: Little of Your Time - Maroon 5
Just need a little of your time, a little of your time
To show you that I am not dead
Please don’t leave, stay in bed
Touch my body instead
I’ll make you feel it
Can you still feel it?

Shopping With Friends: Someday - The Strokes
In many ways they'll miss the good old days
Someday, someday
Yeah, it hurts to say, but I want you to stay
Sometimes, sometimes
When we was young, oh man, did we have fun
Always, always

Getting Back Together: Make A Plan to Love Me - Bright Eyes
Life is too short
Death doesn't ask
It don't owe you that
Some things you lose
You don't get back
So just know what you have
And make a plan to love me sometime soon

End Credits: Be My Baby - Vanessa Paradis
I remember our walk other Saturday night
Sweet harmonies filled and floated through our minds
Never felt this way before
We were riding so high on love and understanding

baby, you turn the temperature hotter

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:04:57 GMT

This is my new Facebook photo:

Hooooly balls. HOLY BALLS. My stomach is still aching, possibly from all the hyperventilating. Just maybe.

So this morning I got out of bed at 8:30, which was horrible, because it was Saturday morning and that is sleepytime. No questions asked. But I don't have much work this weekend and I just got paid, so I decided this was the weekend that I go stand in line to get student rush tickets to A Steady Rain, starring Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig. So I schlepped uptown and made it there by 9:05ish, and there was already quite a line, though NOTHING compared to the line for Next To Normal, which was next door. That was bananas. And then--this is my PROOF that karma exists--a guy next to me saw that I was reading and not with anyone, so he asked if I was going alone, and when I said I was, he asked if I wouldn't mind helping him out and getting a second student rush ticket, since you get two with a student ID (for cheaper) and he'd pay me. So I said sure, why not, and that went smoothly and I said I'd meet him later and give it to him, since you only get a voucher and can pick it up 30 minutes before showtime, etc. He actually really trusted me, which is a rare thing amongst NYC strangers, but I am a lovely honest person and would never screw someone over for a Broadway show, because that shit matters, and he thanked me several times and it was nice and then GOOD SHIT CAME BACK AROUND, OK.

The play itself was fantastic. Really. It was just the two of them, playing BFF Chicago cops (you know the SNL sketch, the Gay Couple From New Jersey?)

Kinda like that. Except Chicago, and much, much, much, MUCH more awesome. (And not...actually gay. But close enough.) Accents were FLAWLESS (and I would know; I have to listen to a frickin' Chicaaago aaaaccent all the livelong day) and it was emotional, funny, smart and excellent. I was so worked up by the end that I could literally feel my pulse throbbing in my neck. That's a creepy feeling, actually, but, y'know, a good sign. And I had a great audience--laughed, gasped, groaned at all the right parts. (And no one's phone went off.)

I didn't take good enough pictures of the barrier/stage door setup, but I should have, because I was fuckin' ninja-awesome-badass-stealthy and managed to get RIGHT up front just by being speedy and clever. Seriously. God. I'm so cool. Danny came out first--

and took pictures and chatted with lots of people. He's very sweet. (And he must have been wearing space pants, because his ass is OUTTA THIS WORLD. I SAID IT. I DON'T EVEN CARE.)

AND THEN. OK, I've done lots of these things, and they basically never do photos with people, just because it gets really crazy and takes too much time, etc. BUT THEY DID. THEY DID. FUCK. I was shaking so badly it looked like I was sitting on a dryer or something, but I was like "would you mind--if you could--?"

!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE TOUCHED MY CAMERA. (BOTH OF THEM DID.) And then the girl next to me tried to do the same with her iPhone or whatever, but he couldn't get it to work. I don't know WHAT made me say it, but I went "You're James Bond! You're supposed to be good with gadgets!" And he went "I'm terrible with gadgets! Haven't you seen the movies? I just smash things" and I was like AHAHAHAHAHA YOU ARE OUTSTAAAAANDING. And then I offered--but I couldn't do it because I'm incompetent and I was shaking so badly I couldn't press the buttons. *FACEPALM* I was like "I'm so sorry, I'm shaking...I can't think why." Finally she got it to work, though, and thank GOD, because I would have felt like a total shit if she hadn't gotten one because I was having a spaz.

And then Hugh came out. If you have been my LJ friend for a while, you already know that I met him outside The Boy From Oz when I was fifteen. It was February, it was freezing, he was adorable. He smiled at me, I opened my mouth, I couldn't speak (coherently), I tried to move, almost collapsed and started crying. Nooooot so smooth. (This has affected every single one of my celeb-encounters of the last six years. I'm like "REMEMBER THAT SHIT, BITCH?! GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME." And I do.)

HE'S SO CHARMIIIIING. I said "That was fantastic! I mean, I'd watch you read the phone book, but that was fantastic!" and he laughed and said "Oh, well, thank you!" HEEE.

I did not know he had a naked lady/mermaid tattoo! HEE! Hey, man, I think it's awesome. You'll never hear me saying anything bad about the female form or tattoos.

HE TOUCHED MY CAMERA TOO. I CAN'T EVEN

IT WAS JUST

FUCK

Soooo many chicks there. (They screamed louder for Hugh than Danny, and I felt a little bad, but then again, Wolverine would TOTALLY win in a fight. And he gets the better chicks, I think. Maybe. Jean, Deathstryke, my girl Elektra...?)

So then I called la_belle_ange, of course, and screeched "HI" and she went "...who'd you meet now?" Hee. She gets me. And I called my mother and she was like "oh, I know him! The guy with the blue eyes?" Sure, why not. And THEN I got home and squealed at David for a while, and then sat at my computer with my back to him. He asked to see the playbill and I handed it over and turned away, and then I heard paper ripping. I whipped around to see him holding a piece of torn scrap paper and laughing hysterically, and I screamed at him and called him a very rude four-letter word that I rarely say, but I do on special occasions. (BECAUSE HE IS.) And now he's reading over my shoulder. Lovely.

SOOOOO YEAH, IT WAS THE BEST EVER. Y'KNOW. Going to post on ONTD tonight when we get back from Halloween shopping/movie-ticket buying.

Shit, son.

AND YEAH, I'M LISTENING TO THE JOBRO. Whatever. I do what I want. I met Wolverine and Bond, bitches!

ETA: The ONTD post, with lots and lots of adorable, awesome comments. I ♥ that place SFM.

I never really cared until I met you

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:34:13 GMT

Oh, you know I have to.

I must express my feelings with visual aids.

OK, so parts of the episode, like Stanley bringing his mistress, Dwight being an asshole to that girl, the Team America-like opening with the barfing, Pam's kind-of bitchy demands about people being less stinky and Oscar being mean to Pam's sister made me feel like this:

and then Jim's toast was like AWWWW, but then it was bad (dude, just say she's not drinking because he's toasting her and that's like when people applaud for themselves at awards shows), and Michael joined in and I felt like this:

But then lots of cute things happened, and the dancing was hilarious, and I adore the Kelly/Erin friendship, and Michael was cute with Pam's Meemaw [which always makes me think of TBBT and Sheldon--"I want a cookie, Meemaw!"], and Kevin was petting Oscar's hair and Jim was super-sweet to Pam about her veil, and also Kelly and Ryan were dancing together and I will always love them, so I felt like this:

And then they got married on the boat away from all the crazy and had snuggle tiems and Jim said he wanted to marry her from day one, and all the dancing was kind of adorable (even though I've never heard of that YouTube video and Chris Brown music does not exactly say "eternal love" to me) and I realized if I ever got married I'd want it to be totally silly and fun like that, and I felt like this:

and this

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

(Best throwaway moments of the night: Dwight's horrifying turtle-murder present and Kevin's "The pee is fast. It's getting my tie back on." Kevin is kind of excellent.)

I confess that I laughed more at SPN, however--I didn't think I could enjoy a Castiel-less episode so much, and I'm glad to know that I can, since I plan to catch up on S1-4 over Christmas and I know he's not in 1-3. (I just watched Misha Collins' "CSI: NY" episode yesterday just because he was in it, and he was all shaggy-haired and hot and evil and I was like "GAH, you're so beautiful, IDGAF that you embalmed some dude while he was still alive.") I was fairly horrified when I heard about Paris' appearance, but that was very snarky and clever (and brief) and I DIED laughing at "I've never even seen House of Wax." Sam: >:\ AHAHAHA. And then, you know, the delightful offensiveness of Sam almost getting murdered by Gandhi and Dean's appalling Lincoln impression (apparently Lincoln sounds like a combination of Nixon and Kennedy; who knew). I loved all their relationship problems; they so need to go on Dr. Phil or something. (I so thought he was on the phone with Cas in that scene--I am still laughing at "It's not funny, Dean! The Voice says I'm almost out of minutes!") And the promo...oh man. Japanese game shows? CSI-style sunglasses-donning? HEE. YAY.

David and I spent fifteen raucous minutes last night teaching one another to say obscene things in French and American Sign Language--he was lamenting his busy weekend at the same time that I stumbled across Vie de Merde (French FML), and I explained "ma vie c'est de la merde," and that devolved into "bitches ain't shit, son" ("les salopes ne sont que de la merde, mon mec"? Something like that) and other such useful phrases. At this point we actually make strangers on the street laugh with our banter. Really. And I wrote a story for my Creative Writing class that involved a mysterious, other-worldly figure, and one of my peer reviewers said she wasn't sure if it was supposed to be God, the Devil or Santa. I LOVE that they're interchangeable. (I may post it once it's been edited.) So it's been an entertaining week.

victory for the forces of democratic freedom!

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:24:13 GMT

So remember how I said I was seeing Brief Interviews With Hideous Men this weekend?

So I was planning to see it, and lo and behold, my former roomie joie_de_vivre texted me while I was at work, asking if I was down, and I was like, yes, obvs. Then we saw that the 8:00-something show wasn't available for online ticketing, which was weird. So we opted for the 10:15, and it's only playing on 6th Ave., blah blah, it's all good. Then Sarah had the presence of mind to actually read the website, and the following text exchange occurred (it was hilarious, so I must transcribe):

Her: OMGWHAT HE'S GONNA BE THERE?!?!
Me: WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK [reads the website] AAAAAAHHHH MY GOD OK BE VERY VERY EARLY
Her: FUCK FUCK FUCK I GOTTA LOOK CUTE. AND WE GOTTA GET THERE EARLYYYYYYYYYYYYYY LIKE 9??
Me: I WOULD SAY. BALLS. I AM NOT PREPARED FOR THIS
Her: SHIT I'm GONNA NEED A DRINK FIRST FOR REALS. THIS IS SERIOUS. I CAN'T WEAR MY STAR WARS SHIRT NOW. ALSO I NEED TO UPDATE MY LIVEJOURNAL.
Me: LMAOOOOO, this is classic. i'm gonna surprise my gentle readers 2nite

and so on. (All this while I'm at work, mind. Which makes it better.) So we get there and wait in line for ages, despite buying tickets beforehand online, because they decided to be mean and not let us in. But finally they did and he came out and someone called "I love you" (not me, surprisingly) and he said "that's the way to enter a theatre [hearing that]" and talked to us and answered questions, which was very cute.

Ye gods, my camera is fail. But anyway, he talked about talking to David Foster Wallace on the phone and how he encouraged him and said what he, John, had in mind for the movie was basically exactly what he was going for and how that just made it all awesome. [And because I am an idiot, I am only now just making the connection that he is the author who killed himself earlier this year, and fuck, that's so sad. I feel so bad for John. :\]

But still, the movie itself was actually very good--I've read mixed reviews and I was nervous for him, but I really enjoyed it; it's very much an actor's movie because it's basically just a series of monologues, but they're set up in a way that's very engaging, and there are a few characters who run through the whole thing and it works as a cohesive story, in my opinion, but it didn't feel forced. I like movies that are part documentary, part fictional story, and it worked. I recommend it. :)

On a separate note: I have given in and started using my Twitter more [yes, I have one. Yes, I still hate the concept. No, I am not giving mine out because I am boring, and I really only use it to stalk celebs, because I think there is a marked difference between Jon Favreau Tweeting from the set of Iron Man 2 and some dude named Frank in Toledo informing us all that he's eating a sandwich. Yes, I am that obnoxious], mostly because ONTD discovered that Eli Roth had discovered us, as well as the IB kink meme. That is so outstanding I cannot even describe it. Tonight he said "I'm showing Christoph [Waltz] how twitter works. I just updated and he asked me 'Does this go out to everyone's Blueberry?'" DYING. I AM DYING OF CUTE. MEIN GOTT IM HIMMEL, I NEED TO BE FRIENDS WITH THESE PEOPLE. NOW. SCHNELL.

Also: "Supernatural"--I'm starting to get it. That Bert and Ernie comment...well, people who live in ridiculously gay houses shouldn't throw stones, eh? (I said this at statements to raucous approval. Just saying.) And I do not believe that Cas would have to pay for sex, ever, ever, since he is ridiculously gorgeous and I'd pay him for a shot with that. The petrified look on his face at the "den of iniquity" is making me understand why the internetz are bursting with fangirlish lust for him.

That is all. (Good God, I promised myself I wouldn't update two days in a row because that's just indulgent, for me, and I am not that interesting at all, and this is my eighth straight day posting. DAMN YOU, MEMES! AND ATTRACTIVE, TALL, FAMOUS MEN!)

EDIT: It's the win that just keeps giving. Read this epic shit. I command it.

Saw it written and I saw it say

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:24:49 GMT

Hmmph. I thought SVU was premiering last night. Apparently it's moved to Wednesdays. No one tells me these things. That means in conflicts with Glee, and I don't know, I think Glee is gonna win that one. The other has gotten very silly. I'll probably still download, but...eh. I've kinda lost interest in DH as well. And kinda Heroes. I'm losing my touch. (My mother's texting me that I need to watch Mercy, because apparently it's offensive. "YU MUST WATCH." Good grief.)

For one week, recommend/share:

Day one: a song
Day two: a picture
Day three: a book/ebook/fanfic
Day four: a site
Day five: a youtube clip
Day six: a quote
Day seven: whatever tickles your fancy

DAY SIX:
"Learn how to love art in yourselves, not yourselves in art. If you undertake to exploit art, it will betray you; art is very vindictive. I repeat: love art in yourselves, not yourselves in art--that should be your guiding thread. The theatre does not exist for you, you exist for the theatre." -- Constantin Stanislavski

I just finished reading this book of his writings and speeches; I have a lot of high-minded ideas about the integrity of art in all forms; I think the ego of the creator (writer, actor, director, whatever) should come second to the work itself. If you're going to create art, you should do it because you want it to exist and be out there in the world, not because you yourself want the attention. (If you can get joy out of it as well, that's pretty good. But that's not the only reason to do it.) [/pretentious]

[Two other, less famous quotes I loved from this past week:
- "So much hotness. I need to see this movie again. Alone. Pee Wee Herman style." -- killervee, in reaction to an Inglourious Basterds cast picspam
- "This is why kids today are pansies. They didn't have terrifying movies with electro-shock therapy and screaming bodiless heads." -- inversed @ Snarkfest, on Return to Oz]

P.S.--My Halloween plans have changed, and I need ideas. Anything Disney. Thoughts?

no, I am not sassin' you in Eskimo-talk.

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:07:45 GMT

Not a bad day. My French class was canceled and my short story was peer-reviewed in Creative Writing, and everyone said they really liked one of my characters and thought the whole thing was funny (which was sort of the point). Several people thought my unspecified narrator had a crush on the second character--I wrote them both as guys; I hadn't expected people to be slashing my fictional characters until at least 15 years from now when I'm rich and famous and published, but it's never too soon to start!

For one week, recommend/share:

Day one: a song
Day two: a picture
Day three: a book/ebook/fanfic
Day four: a site
Day five: a youtube clip
Day six: a quote
Day seven: whatever tickles your fancy

DAY FIVE:

I was planning to post a particularly funny interview with Johnny or one of my favorite trailers or something, but then I came across this video from 2005 in which Obama, amongst others, roasts Rahm Emanuel, whom I totally love, and it is EXCELLENT. The best quote, if you don't have time to watch (starts around 5:02): "It hasn't been easy for Rahm, though. As a young man he had a serious accident. I think many of you are aware of this--he was working at a deli, [and had an] accident with a meat-slicing machine and he lost part of his middle finger. As a result of this, this rendered him practically mute." HEEEEE.

YAY! THEY LISTENED TO ME! I said ages ago that I really hoped that they'd mention that the boys missed Comic-Con and Star Trek because they were at the North Pole, and they did! \o/ Awesome. Loved their insane beards and Sheldon's neat little goatee (I have a feeling he can't grow anything more), and Sheldon greeting his 'spot.' Somehow they managed to encourage both the P/S shippers and the L/P shippers (I am securely in the latter group); I reallyreallyreally hope they don't pull a Joey/Rachel with L/P, because come on, we've waited long enough. I think I heard that they're dating later throughout the season, so I guess they'll power through. I love them. Hmmph. (I do love Sheldon and Penny as friends, but dude, he has no use for romance or sex, ever, and shipping them is totally insane and OOC. FACT.)

And my God, do I love Sheldon's mother. "Evolution isn't an opinion, it's a fact." "That's your opinion." "...I forgive you, let's go home." HA. And I love basically every time she talks to Raj. "I bet she'd be willin' to take a shot at whatever third-world demon is runnin' around inside of you." NEVER CHANGE.

Best line of the night? "In the world of emoticons, I was a colon-capital D." OH YES. (Yes, I made that.) ♥

back off. everyone already thinks we're gay.

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:20:43 GMT

Well, of course the Emmys pissed me off. Hugh and Steve are becoming Susan Luccis. GAH. But the Cheno won, which I reallyreally wanted but didn't necessarily expect, because no one appreciates PD, and her speech was completely adorable. She should be on TO! She can be Angela's sister! The one she hasn't talked to in 16 years or whatever! Come on, it's perfect, she's tiny and blond! And Michael Emerson was wonderful, as always. He absolutely deserved it. ♥ And "Lost" needs to SWEEP next year, LotR-style, or else. I spent the night AIM-chatting with the ONTD crowd, and it was, of course, priceless and shouty and faster than my brain processes language. But in a good way ("OK, THAT'S IT, I'M GOING TO PUNCH EVERYONE EVER").

For one week, recommend/share:

Day one: a song
Day two: a picture
Day three: a book/ebook/fanfic
Day four: a site
Day five: a youtube clip
Day six: a quote
Day seven: whatever tickles your fancy

DAY FOUR: The Movie Spoiler: totally addictive website that basically spoils/recaps movies, both recent and older. They're user-submitted, so some are better than others, but it's useful if you're only semi-interested in a movie, or if you're weird like me and like to read recaps of things you've seen (like I do on TWoP as well).

Is it me, or is that the most we've seen House smile in, like, the entire series so far? Which is ironic, considering. I very much liked the way it was all House-centered (I could live without the Cottages, esp. since Kutner's gone) and even though it's awkward to bring in a character and have her whole story be contained in one episode, the Franka Potente stuff totally got me and that sex scene was lovely/tragic/hot. (She's not Cuddy, though, hun. You know he was thinking of her.) I loved Lin-Manuel, of course. He's so wonderful. I kinda met him once. The whole mute woman plotline was kinda cheesy, but I thought he really was trying to be nice, in his weird, misguided way, when he took Awesome Master or whatever his name was out to the fair. No one appreciates him. :( I hope this season we see just enough change in him--change enough to keep the show moving and give the mental hospital plotline some kind of long-term resonance, but not enough to ruin the snarky, brilliant character we've come to love. Gotta be careful there.

Do not tease fans with Foreman firing Thirteen; everyone hates her and they'll be super-pissed. Me, I dislike her, but everyone else seems to HAAAAATE her. While this season does look good, I've heard Chase does something stupid and House said "I quit" in the promo--with both of them, HAVEN'T WE DONE THAT BEFORE?! Criminey. Still, though, I have faith this'll be interesting.

I didn't see TBBT or Heroes yet; I'm watching the premiere of the latter tomorrow and if it's not great, I think I'm just dropping it for good. Hotness can only carry it so long. The finale was just uber-fail and the scripts have gotten awful and...gah. ONE MORE CHANCE, SHOW.

Many oxen are in my bed! Many, many oxen!

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:45:37 GMT

(Points if you know the quote.)

Congratulations to go my girl la_belle_ange: today she broke her previous record and saw Inglourious Basterds for an eighth time. Yes, that's right. I am very impressed. As my record is four times, I am slightly abashed and need to catch up. I'm thinking maybe Alice...? Not sure.

For one week, recommend/share:

Day one: a song
Day two: a picture
Day three: a book/ebook/fanfic
Day four: a site
Day five: a youtube clip
Day six: a quote
Day seven: whatever tickles your fancy

DAY THREE: Fanfic--Theories About Nuclear Winter by hollycomb. It's a Calvin & Hobbes fic, specifically Calvin/Susie--I know, I had doubts too, but someone linked me on Snarkfest and it's wonderful. So heartfelt and imaginative; it totally captures their voices and the spirit of the whole comic and...everything. Love it. (Also, there's going to be a C&H documentary?! Yay!)

PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO WIN OR I WILL LEGIT CUT A BITCH

Jim Parsons for "The Big Bang Theory" (will also accept Carell, but I don't feel S5 was his best work)

Michael Emerson for "Lost" (maybe the final season would be best...BUT NO, "DEAD IS DEAD" WAS FUCKING AWESOME)

Hugh Laurie for "House" (it's been long enough, and he broke my heart this season, hardcore)

Kristin Chenoweth for "Pushing Daisies" (it's the LEAST they can do!!)

PEOPLE/THINGS I WOULD REALLY, REALLY LIKE TO WIN, BUT I'LL LIVE IF THEY DON'T

"Family Guy" for Comedy (just because I love Seth and haters can suck it and cartoons are never nominated for this shit--I still love TO and would be happy with that too, but again, S5)

"Lost" for Drama (too much Thirteen on "House" this year, and I think I might want "Lost" to sweep next year, but I really really really liked this season)

Rainn Wilson for "The Office" ("Spin move!")

Andy Serkis for "Little Dorrit" (just because I adore him and he needs lots of awards to make up for his hideous Two Towers snub)

Sandra Oh OR Chandra Wilson for "Grey's Anatomy" (they're both outstanding and basically the only reasons to watch the show anymore, although I like Meredith more now than I ever have before)

Christine Baranski for guest-starring on "The Big Bang Theory" (she doesn't need more awards to prove her fierceness, but she was outstanding)

Justin Timberlake for guest-starring on "SNL" ("bring it on down to Plasticviiiille!")

PEOPLE/THINGS I REALLY DON'T WANT TO WIN BECAUSE I'M FUCKING BITTER

Alec Baldwin for "30 Rock" (seven awards in three years says THAT'S ENOUGH. STFD)

Tony Shaloub for "Monk" (again, enough. And he seems jerky)

William Shatner for "Boston Legal" (oh my God, it feels like that show has been canceled for YEARS. Plus, all the Star Trek press has lead me to realize that he is just plain douchearific)

"American Idol" for Reality Competition (because...go away)

Ryan Seacrest" for Host of a Reality/Reality Competition (because...GO AWAY, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD)

Sarah Silverman for "The Sarah Silverman Program" (because this will continue her delusion that she's funny)

...Yes, I am prepared to be disappointed. I always am. D:

I will a round unvarnished tale deliver

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:57:12 GMT

Othello was good. It was a very modern interpretation--the set was really sparse and everyone was getting updates on the war on their BlackBerries, heh. Bianca and Montano were combined into one character, played by a woman, which really made it interesting. Now I'm thinking I might want to see Hamlet with Jude Law.

Also saw Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs last night, which was ridiculously cute. Bill Hader is adorable in all forms. The back two rows of adults (including David & myself) were laughing as uproariously as the kids down in front--there was lots of subtler humor for the adults, and it was just generally delightful. (In fact, I am now eating spaghetti and meatballs for dinner as a result. Chef Boyardee, but still.) Sony, coming out of nowhere with their new animation! Impressive! It was in 3D, of course, meaning we paid $16.50 each, which is the most I've ever paid for a movie, but we reasoned that we saw The Informant! for free, and it comes out to $8.25 per movie and that's actually not bad.

For one week, recommend/share:

~~Day one: a song~~
Day two: a picture
Day three: a book/ebook/fanfic
Day four: a site
Day five: a youtube clip
Day six: a quote
Day seven: whatever tickles your fancy

DAY TWO:

Photo taken by me atop the cliffs at Tintagel Castle, which is in a little village on the coast near Cornwall. It took forever to get out there from where we were staying in Cornwall, and then we climbed up these slippery stone steps, and there was kinda no railing or anything, and it was quite nerve-wracking and adventurous. I don't like heights, but I climbed up as high as I could go anyway, and I'm glad I did. ;)

Technically they are doing parkour as long as Point A is delusion and Point B is the hospital.

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:48:33 GMT

Reviews, as promised: Paris; The Informant!. Next week I don't think there'll be anything, but the week after that is Zombieland and Whip It, because yes, I scored advance passes to that too. Sometimes I am fabulous.

Everything I didn't love about "Glee" (mostly the weird Acafellas stuff--I don't like how the fate of glee club/Will's presence therein is in jeopardy every single week) was immediately and thoroughly balanced out and then some by "Who's Josh Groban?! Kill yourself!" Extraordinary. I too am a squealing Josh fangirl, largely because of the concert I attended in March 2007 (ASKDSAHKHFUIO HE PLAYED THE DRUMS AND DID "NOT WHILE I'M AROUND" HOLY MOTHER OF FUCK IT WAS SO HOT), so that was excellent. And hitting on ~~George's~~ Will's mom was A+ as well. Needed moar Victor Garber, though. Everything in life does.

Didn't love the Mercedes/Kurt stuff, since I didn't believe she'd be into him and it was all introduced and resolved too fast, but I loved the coming-out scene--I thought it was really sweet the way he was so stereotypically 'obvious' and yet was emotional and nervous about saying it. He played that scene beautifully. And the Sparky Polastri guy was excellently evil. (I never really thought Lea Michele needed a nose job, but I've seen comments online to that effect since the show started. WTF. She's gorgeous.) I like that they've embraced their Island of Misfit Toys [/Sue] identity, though.

TO was...weird. The cold open was awesome, as usual, but I'm really disappointed in Stanley--we know he's sort of stubborn and annoying with his wife, as explained in "Did I Stutter?" when he was like "if I don't think I'm wrong, I do not apologize. I told my wife that, and I'll tell the next one too." But I thought that was kinda meant to be funny and he really loved her deep down and would never actually split up with her, etc. Now I'm just sad. And Michael's rumors, while funny in themselves at times (I like how they got increasingly ridiculous--heh, scuba), was just a weird plotline. I did enjoy Stanley smashing up his car, though. Someone should. Andy was great; I love that he's that easily confused. And Pam/Jim were adorable, as usual (she does not look four months along, though, damn). "We should have known that you are an equal part of this." Overall, I liked parts of it a lot, and it was properly horrifying/cringe-worthy, as all episodes should be, but it just didn't feel very premiere-ish. It just felt like another episode. (I did like the interns, especially since I'm looking for one myself right now. "Michael will call you Jet Li for the whole...summer." Heh.)

I did not watch "Supernatural" or "Community" yet, because I was out for David's bday (fancy dinner place + Magnolia bakery for hot chocolate + ill-advised B&N trip--he is such a bad influence; I always buy books and/or movies when I'm with him. I got The Fall for $11.25, though!), but I plan to. Joel will be happy with me.

And I am finally getting on board, late, as ever:

For one week, recommend/share:

Day one: a song
Day two: a picture
Day three: a book/ebook/fanfic
Day four: a site
Day five: a youtube clip
Day six: a quote
Day seven: whatever tickles your fancy

DAY ONE: Use Somebody - Paramore (Kings of Leon cover). Great song, great cover--I really love her voice. I was disinclined to like them because they're all Twilight-y, but once again, I've given in. (Incidentally: the latest New Moon trailer? Uh, wow. It looks like a legit movie this time. I will never stop being a lolfan, but at least there are, like, actual special effects and costumes and sets/locations and stuff this time. Shoot. I've already made plans to see it with a friend opening weekend. I am still wearing my "Support Cedric Diggory" t-shirt. You have to commit to these things.)

awesomeness comes in package deals--

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:44:37 GMT

Tonight I went to a free screening of The Informant!, and it turned out to be the U.S. premiere. Matt Damon was there, sitting halfway back in the theatre behind me [we were in the second row, lolz] and he waved to us and we all cheered. Joel McHale was there, and I talked to him afterwards and shook his hand, and I said I was looking forward to seeing what "The Soup" was gonna say about the VMAs. He said it was gonna be "epic." I am seeing Othello with Philip Seymour Hoffman (as Iago) at my school on Saturday for free. Yesterday was David's birthday and today he found out that he got an internship he's been wanting--at the Jim Henson archive office. He met Grover last week. "The Office" premieres this week.

picspam pimpage

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 02:21:08 GMT

The new challenge at picspammy is kind of awesome, so click the banner for mine (WARNING: spoilers and blood). A few other of my favorites so far are this Watchmen one, this House one, this Into the Wild one (Emile Hirsch keeps impressing me and I think he has a shot at my Honorable Mention List...not sure yet) and this Disney one. Plus lots of others.

Computer is running well and I have everything all put back--some of my album art on iTunes is messed up, but that just gives me a chance to be OCD all over again, which is always fun. David's coming tomorrow and we're hitting Max Brenner (Chocolate by the Bald Man, of course) and then HBP. We're officially the oldest people on the second and third floors of this dorm, according to the survey at the floor meeting. Both in spirit and in technical age. Ho-ho.

ETA: OMFG YAY!

100 movies in 2009: accomplished

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:30:01 GMT

Finally! Took me long enough. 100 movies, 239 days. Tsk. Will have to do better next year. I copy-pasted the list so far; HERE is the main post, which I will continue to update & which also includes books.

loved it
liked it
no strong opinion/can't decide
disliked it
in the cinema*

001. Seven Pounds
002. Revolutionary Road*
003. Låt den rätte komma in
004. Gran Torino (predictable as hale + BatVoice = ehhhh)
005. Eagle Eye (if there's a movie you want to watch on an overnight, rather turbulent international flight, it is this one)
006. 28 Days Later...
007. Waltz With Bashir* (my first-ever cinema movie in London! I recognize that it was very good and the story is quite important, but I can't say I enjoyed it; I basically just wanted to kill myself the whole time)
008. Elizabethtown
009. Frozen River (it's quite good, but I'm not sure she's Oscar-nom-worthy...eh)
010. Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (German what the hey now?)
011. Che: Part One*
012. Frankenstein (1931) (batty and awesome. And Tim, I c what u did thar with the windmill in Sleepy Hollow, bb!)
013. Che: Part Two*
014. Bride of Frankenstein
015. Entre les murs*
016. Werewolf of London (just for the two awesome old drunk ladies)
017. Watchmen*
018. The Young Victoria*
019. The Wolf Man (1941)
020. Vampyr: Der Traum des Allan Grey (er...was? Merkwürdig.)
021. Two Lovers (I really, really, really hope it's not JP's last role, but it's a great one to go out on if it is)
022. Dough and Dynamite
023. The Road to El Dorado (HOW HAVE I NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE. Most awesome, snarky, gay thing EVER. Seriously. Wiki sez it's canon. Oh man, I'm so happy XD)
024. Dragonwyck (best title ever, and young!Vincent Price is unarguably hot)
025. I Love You, Man*
026. Dracula (1931)
027. Sixty Six (Eddie Marsan + HB[I]C = ♥♥♥)
028. Dracula (1958) (also called Horror of Dracula--oh, Christopher Lee, you're fun)
029. X-Men Origins: Wolverine*
030. State of Play*
031. Crash (1996)
032. Coraline*
033. Valkyrie
034. Annie Hall
035. Trainspotting
036. The Brothers Bloom* (it reminded me a lot of The Fall--the plot's kinda eh at times, but when it's good, it's great, and the performances are excellent and the visuals are completely kickass)
037. All About Eve
038. The Soloist* (definitely better than I thought; worth seeing)
039. Star Trek* (FUCK YEAH!)
040. Up*
041. This Is Spinal Tap
042. Un long dimanche de fiançailles
043. The Circus
044. Les triplettes de Belleville
045. A Scanner Darkly (has to be one of my top five RDJ performances, at least)
046. The Station Agent
047. Three Kings
048. JCVD
049. Vanishing Point (1971)
050. Angel Heart (reminded me a lot of The Ninth Gate. Starts off as a pretty strong mystery, and then descends into some weird-ass Satanic fuckery)
051. Bringing Up Baby
052. Away We Go*
053. Lolita (1962) (I think I like Sellers in this as much as in Strangelove, if not more)
054. Do The Right Thing (I have very mixed feelings about it, but I won't deny its quality)
055. A Clockwork Orange (I KNOW, I KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT. Why the FUCK wasn't MMcD nominated?!)
056. Almost Famous
057. Wait Until Dark
058. Music Within (my mother: "Is that Post-It?")
059. Bonnie and Clyde
060. Amacord
061. 8½
062. Being There
063. Public Enemies*
064. The Air I Breathe
065. Lost in La Mancha (interesting, but kind of agonizing to watch)
066. Brüno* (don't say I didn't warn yoü)
067. Suddenly, Last Summer
068. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*
069. Rear Window*
070. Sunshine Cleaning (for some reason I really enjoyed it--it really wants to be In Her Shoes, but it's something special, somehow)
071. Natural Born Killers (Tarantino >>> Stone, but at least it's ballsy)
072. Swimming Pool (I love movies about weird writers. Wonder why)
073. L'heure d'été*
074. The Fountainhead (as a movie it's pretty good, but it's just nothing compared to the novel)
075. Wet Hot American Summer
076. Flags of Our Fathers
077. Moon*
078. The Hurt Locker* (the last half-hour is the best)
079. Julie & Julia* (funnier than I expected, but fairly forgettable. Needed moar Vanessa Ferlito.)
080. Letters From Iwo Jima
081. El orfanato
082. The Seven Year Itch
083. Paper Moon (I have realized it's the early version of Léon, which makes me happy)
084. 2046 (beautifully shot, but the story was just way too wrapped up in itself. IDG Wong Kar Wai, I'm afraid)
085. The Time Traveler's Wife* (again, decent, but doesn't even touch the book. And they messed up the end big-time)
086. Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg*
087. The Color of Money
088. District 9*
089. (500) Days of Summer*
090. Metropolis
091. In the Loop* ("Fuckity-bye!")
092. The American President (further proof that a snappy script is everything)
093. It Happened One Night
094. Velvet Goldmine
095. The Seventh Seal
096. Immortal Beloved (well, I really liked the movie, but I loooooved his performance ♥)
097. Fearless (kinda Lost meets Unbreakable. Part of my mother's maniacal Jeff Bridges marathon. Also made her watch "Tin Man")
098. The Descent
099. Plan 9 From Outer Space (pure gold)
100. Limelight (Chaplin + Keaton = ♥♥♥♥♥)

My laptop's totally finished, but Best Buy apparently has not yet received it for me to pick up. I'm leaving for NYC on Saturday morning. Awesome.

P.S.--hey, this is my 850th entry! Whee!

yeah, you're fucked, all right, and all for spite

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:58:57 GMT

My laptop crashed on Thursday. I have no idea how it happened--I was just sitting there watching "Rome" on VLC Media Player, and the video froze and I thought it was just a bad file, and when I restarted it just did nothing. I ended up at Best Buy and the guy took my hard drive in the back and when he came back out he said it was corrupted and there was nothing they could do, and I literally starting hyperventilating and crying. All my photos from high school, from Europe, of my family, including weddings (not to mentions hundreds of icons); my NaNoWriMo '06 work; all my music; my resume...it's horrifying. I ended up getting a second opinion at the other Best Buy and they said they'd look at it, and that guy seemed a lot more competent and they charged me $99 and said they'd refund it if they couldn't get anything. If they can't, I can send it out to 'data recovery' and they can apparently get anything off of any computer even if it's been run over by a truck, but it'll cost a fortune which I do not have. And I don't even know if the first thing worked yet because they haven't called me, even though they were supposed to do so yesterday. And even if they do get everything off, I'll probably have to buy a new laptop, and I've only had mine a year and I don't have the money. And school starts in about five weeks.

So, yeah, it's bad. I'm on my mother's desktop and have no idea when I'll have mine back, so I'm quite sorry if I'm behind on my flist. :\ And ONTD. Let me know what excitement I miss on there.

we are two healthy people in the pribe of libe!

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 02:52:04 GMT

Today was an epic fail. I went to work and had a massive, staggering allergy attack, and I also had to stand in a ridiculously overheated corner of the restaurant behind the counter to answer the phones with the result that by noon I actually thought I was going to pass out. Even the customers were like "dude, go home." One of the other waitresses force-fed me a ton of orange juice, and I staggered home and took Benadryl and fell into bed around 1:45, and didn't get up until after 5:00. :P Thank God I have off tomorrow, because I totes think I would die if I had to go in. I've never called out or left early before, ever, so I know they're not mad, but it was a bit embarrassing.

I broke down and bought a new iPod off of eBay last week (so much for waiting and saving up, ho ho), and it came today, and once I dragged myself back out of bed I loaded all my crap back onto it, and it looks pretty good. It's a 120GB and it's sort of black-silverish, and the display is really fancy and I dig it.

I also wrote an e-mail in response to an editorial in the paper (I KNOW, MY GOD, DO I DO ANYTHING ELSE EVER) because I was annoyed at a Watchmen DVD review--it basically said "the DVD sucks because the movie sucks and it's even LONGER, and the movie sucks because The Comedian beats up Silk Spectre." I wrote this semi-prissy e-mail about how violence can be used to prove a point and how the characters' lives are meant to point out how combining hypersexuality with vigilante violence is a bad thing and how the film was really geared towards fans of the novel and is meant to be shocking, etc., and the guy actually wrote back and said I had a point. (I then had a similar but unrelated conversation with my mother, for the thousandth time, and I said "just because it's got a bit of the old tolchocking doesn't mean it's not worth a good viddy, little sister!" She was less than convinced.) That was kinda fun. And I watched the Director's Cut with my dad; I really like that they put the Hollis Mason stuff back in, since I love Dan and it helps expand his character (and we fast-forwarded through the sex scene, because, come on). And now I have the 'digital copy' on my new iPod, yay.

And a meme, stolen from sexyjohnlennon:

Post a picture in my comments of what you think describes me when you think about what/who I am.
Give no written explanation. Just an image.
Post this in your journal and see what images you get.

review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:22:20 GMT

Good Lord, today was supremely awful. Absolutely everything went wrong at work (actually, it started before I even got there) and I made the worst money I've made since I started there, I think. However, the end of the day was much better, as it included a viewing of Rear Window with scimmia_romanov and an actual REPLY from one of the paper editors to whom I sent the following review, saying they might publish part of it as a local-interest sort of thing--heavily edited and unpaid, of course, but with a byline. !!!!!! EPIC SCORE.

OK, so, first of all, I have to share that they did trivia before the show, and I knew, you know, every single answer. I don't think there's any other subject on Earth about which I could say that. ...Maybe "Friends." But anyway, I answered a question correctly and got to pick a prize, which turned out to be super lame-o stuff from this radio station that sponsored some of the free passes (t-shirts, bumper stickers, that kinda stuff). They also had several awful DVDs, so I picked the very worst one (Knowing, that apocalyptic Nic Cage thing), thinking at least it'd be a laugh, and I sat back down and the guy next to me went "dude, I heard that was awesome! I'd buy it from ya!" and I said "how much?" and he said "ten bucks." And thus, I turned a profit at the free movie screening. Sometimes I am awesome. And I then helped the other people around me win prizes because I told them the answers.

Hokay, so, now down to it. (I took notes, but can barely read some of 'em, so we're just gonna wing it):
- YAAAAAAAY LONDON EGGY BUILDING!!! That was clearly a personal shout-out to me since I looked at it through my window for five months; I have walked across the very bridge that was destroyed in the beginning, so that was a thrill
- "Will and Won't" is one of the best things ever, because it's SUCH quintessential Dumbledore (David dies laughing if you just say "agapanthus" to him, for real) and I was really, really sad it was taken out, but I kind of liked the bit with Harry in the Muggle cafe, since it implies his desire for anonymity. And hitting on the waitress was cute, if slightly OOC, because all the ladies love DanRad
- Dumby just...appearing was both creepy and excellent. Not enough focus on the hand, though
- YAY for keeping the walls lined with books at Spinner's End. I always loved that detail. Sev is such a hot super-nerd. I'll try not to be pissed that they summed up the staggeringly vast and important Snape-is-a-spy plotline with him just going "heh, I tricked that fool, I am excellent" in one quick line
- Bella was looking FIERCE in the leather. Words do not describe my love for HB[I]C. Nice touch with her calling him "coward," too
- (...I have "ceremony" written here and I can't remember why. Draco's initiation, maybe? That was cool; it makes Harry seem a little less insane for thinking he's a Death Eater with no proof at all)
- Was that Harry's dragon from GoF I saw in Diagon Alley? Nice touch
- WWW store looked AWESOME. "I'm your brother!" "Ten Galleons!" Hee. I adore them
- Draco's line about "I'd rather jump off the Astronomy Tower" was nice, especially since the twins made a similar comment to Ron in PoA after Harry falls off his broom
- I love, love, LOVE the Harry/Luna relationship; it's one of the very few things that's actually as good in the movie as in the books. Nice touch with her finding him with the SpectreSpecs, and him going "you are my friend!" was adorable. Love 'em. And her X-mas party dress was a hoot
- Didn't like Dumby telling everyone that Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle--that was one of the major things that he didn't tell people that actually might have helped, which both helps the mystery within the story and adds to Dumbledore's whole fatal-flaw secretive thing. He said that "very few people" knew he was once called that; it changes a lot for everyone to know
- I think it's Slughorn who says "use it well" to Harry when he wins the Felix Felicis, which is what Dumbledore said to Harry in SS about the cloak, so that was cool. (Overall, Broadbent was twitchy and dorkily fun, but he wasn't quite what I pictured; Slughorn's a little more...comfortable and pompous, sort of. Still, he's always fun)
- THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, KLOVES (and I'll never say that again) for the completely pointless line with Dumby speculating about Harry/Hermione and Harry going "NOOOO, nooo, never." YOU DISCOURAGE THOSE SHIPPERS! The movies are WAY too H/Hr-y (more on that later), so thx for trying
- YAY also for seeing the diary! This is the first time where it really and truly seemed like they knew where this story fit in with the others and included references/clues from the previous movies and set up the final one(s) really well. It only took 'em SIX MOVIES. I'm like the Muggle Worker. GOOD, HELEN, GOOD
- Didn't love mini!Tom, to be honest. That would have been an insanely hard role for a young actor, since Tom's all weird and oddly mature and "TELL THE TRUTH!" and then polite...he just seemed sullen and creepy, and the whole point was that he was freakishly charming as a little one. Looked like him, though. Middle!Tom was great, and rather pretty. He had that delicate, sensuous thing going on...nicely done
- Harry's glasses didn't even have glass in 'em half the time. I know it's annoying to have your main character bespectacled, since that makes for lots of unfortunate light reflection and whatnot, but TRY HARDER. Y'ALL ALREADY SCREWED UP THE EYE COLOR, OKAY?!
- I have NO idea what they were thinking, telling us outright that the necklace was for Dumbledore--be more obvious, why don't you?! I liked that they kinda had to dumb it down for non-readers, and I cannot look at it objectively, but I would think that would reveal things way too soon even if you didn't know what was coming. WTF. Fail. And Harry saying he "just knew it" sounds like him, but he could at least say he saw it at Borgin & Burke's. Shoot
- So apparently Hermione is so good that she can do magic not only without a wand, but by whispering behind her hand?! The "Confundus" moment was cute, but WTFFFFFFF again
- The romance, too, was a little too...clear. Obviously Hermione's jealous of Ron/Lavender, but she doesn't know she's jealous. All three of them are a little slower on the uptake than was implied. I about died laughing when, in the book, Harry says he "had an inkling" that R/Hr might happen. AN INKLING. FOR SHIT'S SAKE. So Hermione being all "you ~understand~ because you ♥ Ginny!" was just weird and premature. Harry denies his feelings for Ginny for a while; we didn't see any of his conflict about Ron getting pissed or anything. That being said, Lavender was A+. She was annoying and yelpy and hilarious. Nice casting job, very nice indeed
- Um, OK, the lingering stares and groping and wall-shoving after the Christmas party? You wonder why there's Draco/Severus fanfiction out there. Shit, son
- Gambon has definitely improved (more on that later), but APPARENTLY Remus has taken a leaf out of his Book of Crankypants, because all we saw of him was him being all grumpy and mad and that was NOT COOL because he is my favorite and I'm already kinda iffy on Thewlis. One of my all-time favorite Remus moments is in the Burrow-Christmas scene where he talks about hanging out with Greyback and other werewolves and Harry goes "But you are normal! You've just got a--a problem...!" and Remus laughs and says he reminds him of James ("many people were under the impression I owned a badly-behaved rabbit"). ♥♥♥♥ So THANKS FOR NOTHIN'. And of course, no Tonks/Remus backstory, just a "sweetheart..." to tide us over. OHHH, GOOD FOR YOOOOU. (And "the first night of the cycle's always the worst"...I'm just...not even gonna go there)
- The other Burrow parts were great, though, especially with the garage full of Arthur's Muggle junk. And the attack scene was very well-done and everything, and points especially to Julie Walters for her heartbroken expression as she looked at her house--BUT AREN'T YOU BITCHES MAGICAL?! It so didn't fit for them to just...watch it. Sheez
- Liked the stuff with the Vanishing Cabinet, but again, that felt a little too explanatory. But maybe not for loser n00bs
- la_belle_ange and I were both doing "OMFG"-flails when Ginny KNELT DOWN in front of Harry to tie his shoelace--Meredith suggested it was an in-joke relating to Dan's comment about not being able to do his shoes up sometimes because of that dyspraxia thing he's got, which made sense to me, but also...Ginny Weasley puts out. Everyone knows this. So...heh
- Hermione Granger does not say "bloody." Ever. That will be all
- Continuity error: the first time we see "Sectumsempra" in the book, it's on the bottom of the page. Second time, it's at the top by the chapter title. TSK-TSK! But that scene was good--Draco crying got some laughs from my audience, which I found unsurprising but disappointing. It wasn't the movie's fault, however; I thought both TF's performance and the direction of the scene just made it sort of weird and uncomfortable to witness, which is how it should be. Harry just going "o shit" and running away didn't fit, though, because in the book he panics and sort of tries to help and genuinely feels bad for, like, shanking him
- The love potion scene was hilarious, though, and it was smart to go from LOL COMEDY to Ron being poisoned and that being genuinely scary ("these girls...they're gonna kill me" made it too funny again, but I guess a fake-out super-tense scene wouldn't have fit there). And good time-saver with R/L breaking up because he said Hermione's name. Awww
- Loved EVERY SECOND of lucky!Harry, since I am convinced DanRad ad-libbed a lot of that ("Harry!" "Sir!" and "it's probably the pincers, too...tk-tk-tk..." made me scream) and it was just clever and funny and just right. I've always loved that chapter. It's so sick and funny. Dead!Aragog coming out of nowhere was weird, but hats off to the props department for that heinous thing. ("It hit the bottom with a rather horrible crunchy thud." BWA HA HA!)
- Overall, I'm just glad they cut out a lot of Harry's stalking of Draco, because that was just dumb (even though I would have given ANYTHING I OWNED to hear Dan say "I need to see what Draco Malfoy is doing inside you." Deleted scene, y/y?) and it's just weird that the whole book is Harry going "he's up to something! UP TO SOMETHING, I SAY!!" and everyone goes "lol no" and then he's...up to something. And yet I love it. Whatevah, I do what I want
- RING! SHIT! THE RING! FORESHADOWING: YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT!!
- I have "p. 405 speech!!!!" written in angry letters, meaning that we (and Harry) SHOULD NOT have heard Sev saying that he doesn't "want to do it" and stuff. That was just...too obvs. (And it really is on page 405 of the American hardcover edition, when Hagrid confesses overhearing that conversation. Check me if you don't believe it!)
- I also just have "friendship <3" written, because they really did a very nice job of showing Harry and Dumbledore's relationship. Gambon really did improve; he captured his spirit and humor and quirkiness a lot better, and as a result, Dan worked really well with him. I was impressed. I really wish they hadn't cut out "I am with you," though, since that's just amazing
- Lake scene = A+++++. Exactly as I imagined, perfect dialogue, scary as hell, beautiful effects (see my fancy review for a weird fire-symbolism thing that I pulled outta my ass)--just amazing. Inferi were mad freaky (but really, throw in an earlier line about what they are!), and Dumbledore's Ring of Fire was just breathtaking. And of course, the potion freaked my shit out, although it was mercifully less detailed than in the book. He's never looked more Gandalf-y, incidentally, than when he was on the rock with the white hair everywhere and the light and...NICE
- He wasn't really weakened enough when facing Draco, though, which was, of course, why he asked Sev to do it. That's another wonderful Dumby scene ("Jokes? No, these are manners"), but they did all right. Harry just 'staying below' [dirty] was dumb, though, and I just didn't feel Harry's shock and horror enough, really. The killing was harsh and surprising and everything, but I just didn't love his reaction. Chasing down Sev was good, but...eh. Something
- Loved Bella sending up the Dark Mark and smashing up the castle, though, that was perfect. She's a whackadoo
- I'm glad the rumor about the final scene being just Dumby's body lying at the foot of the tower wasn't true. I found myself crying when everyone was holding up their wands; that was a gorgeous visual. However, I still didn't feel the urgency; it was "we mournfully and tragically honor our brilliant fallen headmaster with this classy, elegant showing of love" when it should have been "HOLY FUCKBALLS WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED OH MY FUCK THIS IS THE WORST THING EVER D8 D8 D8 D8." ...Perhaps a happy medium would have been best, but I just think it needed a bit more shock and confusion first, since no one else knew anything about the potion or the Horcruxes or the curse or aaaanything
- Harry would NEVER, in a million, billion, skillion years, walk out on McGonagall when she was trying to talk to him. NEVAH!! David's going to pitch a fit when he sees that, since he ♥s Minerva. Gah
- I liked the way the "zoom out on trio" final shot was in this one too, but a lot more gloomily than in the other movies. HOWEVER, the fact that Ron was sitting back and not in the shot with H/Hr was massively uncool, and the throwaway line about H/G was just annoying. I don't even really care about that ship, but they didn't do it justice. They didn't capture the fire and fun between them; Ginny was way too subdued. It's her strength and badassery that attracts him in the first place. Boo. I guess we'll have time for them in the next movie
- YAY for R.A.B. and mentioning Reg early on, though. That'll be helpful.
- Forgot to mention: it's getting REALLY old the way they basically never wear their uniforms at school, especially Draco in his pimp suit, but he looks good in it, and Hermione's Gryffindor shirt was cute, and I liked that Harry was wearing Chucks because I was too and we could so be pals

...So overall, I thought it was really good and fun and really worked as part of the series, for once, which was essential. It was a little more balanced and restrained than the others; the most notable thing about the book series, to me, is that way it matures with the characters. The plotlines and writing and everything grow along with him--and, because I am a super-lucky person and started reading when I was in 5th grade, along with me, too. The movies are now doing that too, which is totally bomb.

Lots of overlap, of course, just more...fancy-like:

The sixth chapter in the Harry Potter film series is perhaps the most highly anticipated installment so far due to elements both creative and technical—the film was, as all Potter fans know and highly resent, delayed from last November to this summer in order to ensure the studio a summer blockbuster to match 2008's The Dark Knight. And, of course, as all fans and many non-fans alike already know, the film contains the most emotional and resonant on-screen character death so far. Needless to say, expectations from moviegoers are exceptionally high, and fortunately, the film is the smartest and most mature of the series so far. Unlike its predecessors, the film attempts to appeal to both fans of the book series and non-fans alike, making it a genuinely good film, not just a well-done adaptation. Details that would be missed by those who have not read the books are filled in with succinct dialogue, and minor points for the costume-wearing, midnight-party crowd only are generously sprinkled throughout the film. For once, the filmmakers seem to be fans of the series, which is a welcome change, and important allusions to the previous stories are made, along with—most essentially—foreshadowing for the final two films, parts one and two of the seventh book.

In keeping with the first five movies, the film does admittedly attempt to cover too much ground at times, giving the pacing a rushed feel in the first act, but at least it isn't action scene after kinetic action scene; a logical amount of time is given to character development and plot build-up. And the relationships between characters are most definitely at the heart of the story: the film was touted by the creators as being, in part, a teen-romance comedy, and the style works reasonably well. Most of the humor is found in Ron's (Grint) giddy and shallow hookup with Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave), a fellow Gryffindor who fawns over her Quidditch (sometimes) champion, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he continues to quietly pine for his brainy pal, Hermione (Watson). The affection between Harry and his best friend's younger sister, Ginny (Bonnie Wright), on the other hand, is allowed to simmer gently with lingering glances and unspoken chemistry, building upon from the friendship established in the previous films. Where the books opt for intimations and tacit narrative parallels, however, the movie tends to explain outright, and it sometimes feels a bit too easy, the way the characters are able to articulate what is going on while still lacking the emotional maturity to handle the feelings in question.

However, the romance is really the secondary plot of the film; the most important relationship is the one between Harry and his headmaster, Dumbledore. Their scholarly rapport is finally given enough time to blossom into a more familial bond; the enigmatic professor wishes to give Harry the tools, both physical and mental, that he needs to eventually defeat his nemesis, Voldemort, and the film manages to capture the emotional side of their attachment. The two actors work better together than they have in any film so far, and their scenes together are sincere as they work together towards a common goal. Several of their private lessons from the book are omitted in the film, but this is perhaps a wise choice, as it leaves the audience wanting more of their time together instead of tiring of the long expository scenes, and are therefore even more affected by the end result of their efforts together.

The film delivers a wide range of emotions as it progresses from comedy to tragedy, and most of the actors are required to go even further than before, with satisfying results. Grint, as Ron, is allowed to show his talent for humor, getting to be the source of comedy, rather than simply the butt of the jokes, as happened too frequently in the earlier films. As Hermione deals with conflicting new feelings heartbreak, Watson, while still the weakest actor of the three, shows the most genuine emotion seen from her so far; for once she is not simply reciting the lines, but feeling them. And Radcliffe, who tends to give his best performances when working off other strong actors (including Gary Oldman and Ralph Fiennes) brings an added level of maturity and ease to Harry as he begins to understand the path ahead of him and the responsibilities he must fulfill. He, too, shows a flair for comedy, most notably in a scene where, bolstered by a swallow of lucky potion, he takes action and cleverly wheedles an important truth out of a reluctant professor (Jim Broadbent). Another side of Harry's schoolboy enemy, Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) is seen as he struggles with his own responsibilities and his own identity, resulting in a surprisingly moving performance from the formerly one-note bully. And Michael Gambon, who received sharp criticism from fans for his harsh, fiery interpretation of the quirky, even-tempered Dumbledore in previous films, is much more effective here, capturing the character's quiet strength, dry wit and, by the film's end, tragically honest and imperfect humanity. And like the actor, the emotion of the film never goes too over-the-top; the calamitous ending of the film is delivered with gentle, noble sorrow, somewhat toned down from the frantic terror of the book, and it helps create the appropriate sense of heavy loss.

The effects are, as always, stunning to behold—the much-loved sport of Quidditch is back, having sat out the fourth and fifth films, adding a bit of cheery excitement to the early parts of the film. The climactic action scene is simply breathtaking as Harry and Dumbledore battle a lakeful of terrifying Gollum-like creatures (known in the books as Inferi; reanimated corpses) in an underground cave by the sea. Light and dark are used liberally and well: a cozy night scene is rent apart by the arrival of enemies and the tragic immolation of a beloved home. Later, in contrast, Harry is nearly dragged into the lake's shadowy depths before being rescued by a roaring ring of fire, there used a symbol of the power of good. The visuals reflect the plot's usage of good and evil and the way one can disguise itself as the other, a clever move in light of the film's shocking end, where one character reveals more than one surprising identity. A scene very nearly the end, a wordless tribute to a fallen hero, uses a beautiful and affecting visual of a thousand lit wandtips, saying volumes where dialogue would feel inadequate and continuing the 'less is more' theme that surfaces multiple times through the film.

Overall, the film balances exuberance and subtlety well, avoiding melodrama and opting for genuine emotion, both positive and negative. The actors overall are given more to work with and give purer performances than ever before, now that their characters are truly becoming fully-fledged, three-dimensional individuals. The plot is smartly balanced, capturing the complex blend of the fun, frivolous nature of adolescence and the more serious, difficult elements of early adulthood that make it such a tumultuous time for Muggles and wizards alike. It stands on its own as a strong film, but also fits seamlessly into the series, recalling past plots and paving the way for the future concepts, showing the way the actors, plots and films overall have matured and strengthened as the great series heads for its final act.
Grade: B+/A-

Holy hell, longest post ever. I will close with this from an interview with Tom Felton: "The 21-year-old added that he has received digitally enhanced pictures of himself in provocative positions with other cast members, saying: 'Oh God, I saw this crude picture. All I'll say is that Daniel and I were never in that bed. Shame on whoever did that on Photoshop, it's caused me hell. My brother has it on his phone as a screensaver.'" I AM OPENLY CACKLING AT YOUR PAIN, BB, BECAUSE THAT'S FUCKING AWESOME. *dies and is ded* I love that manip. (And I still need to write this H/D one-shot I've had in mind for a while...heh.)

HBP countdown: 23 hours, 55 minutes

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:13:32 GMT

I sat out the last challenge at picspammy because I couldn't think of any good comparisons, but this one is "short form" and I realized I had to do this one (click the banner):

TOMORROW IS HBP YEY. I'm wearing the customized shirt I made right after DH; I'm going downtown straight after work, meaning everyone I work with and all of my customers will know just how nerdy I am. (And they should; they're gonna be around me a lot. I don't have more than one day off at a time--like, I don't have two off in a row--for the rest of the summer. D:) Reviews coming late tomorrow night, of course, of both the professional and shrieking fangirl varieties.
ETA: I just got an e-mail with a "friendly reminder" about the screening. YEAH, BECAUSE I ALMOST FORGOT. GODDAMN.

Finally broke down & took all of my movies out of their cases and put them into one huge CD case for easy transport to and from college. I've got a lot. I realized I was lacking my own personal copy of both the first X-Men and the regular 2-disc of LotR:FotR [I have the 6-disc extended one, but I have the 2-discs of the others, and everything has to match, of course], so I bought 'em both off Amazon, along with The Road to El Dorado, for a total of $16, including S&H. \o/ It's quite an enjoyable sickness.

if I hate the headline, I'll make up the headline (review: Public Enemies)

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:33:58 GMT

Hat trick for Johnny-related posts! I saw Public Enemies last night, of course, with la_belle_ange and our honorary older brother (who applauded the ending of the movie because he likes to torment me). I wrote one of my professional-type reviews, so here it is, overlong and spoiler free:

Much of the press surrounding Michael Mann's Public Enemies, the story of the birth of the FBI and the hunt for bank robber John Dillinger in the early 1930s, claims that the story is particularly timely during this period of economic trouble, and that audiences will be drawn to the story of one man who boldly took what he felt was owed him by the banks and the government. This is perhaps giving the average moviegoer too much credit, however, and it is rather more likely that the main draws of the film will be the presence of box-office kings Johnny Depp and Christian Bale and the great number of shoot-outs and car chases. Mann's career in recent years has seen a number of largely forgettable, high-octane action films (Miami Vice, Collateral), and at first glance, his most recent outing might appear to be nothing more than an attempt to juice up the gangster films of the past for a new audience. However, the film has a mature confidence that takes it beyond the level of an average action movie—the shoot-outs and car chases complement the story; they are not the story itself.

The film makes many bold technical choices, starting from the very beginning, which eschews any opening titles and offers a brief expository title card before diving straight into a jailbreak scene. Depp's Dillinger is not introduced with any sort of dramatic cinematography or with any explanatory dialogue; the viewer is simply thrown into the story. And the style of the film only increases the viewer's sense of active presence with the plot: in a uncommon move, the entire movie is filmed with a hand-held camera. This is often disorienting and jarring, especially when shots are framed behind someone's ear or through a smudged window, but the style is consistent, and feels like a conscious, intelligent choice, rather than an attempt at added movement for movement's sake. Furthermore, the film is not lit in a typical style, with the main characters illuminated clearly and the background more obscure. Instead, the scenes are lit by the lamps, streetlights and, on occasion, moonlight within the setting, and nothing more. The scenes are therefore often dim or strangely tinted, but it helps add to the realism of the film. Simply put, it is a movie that does not try to look like a movie. The tight shots on characters' faces and the quick shots following their movements make it feel almost documentary-like at times (which is an interesting choice in this age of “reality” TV). As such, the actors control the plot and the emotion; the camera appears to be there simply to follow them around, rather than to dictate the overall feel of the film. Some may find the style off-putting, but it is exemplary of the assured, cohesive nature of the work.

The plot itself also strives to stay true to history, for the most part, and keeps the action scenes few and far between to keep the tension and to remain a historical biopic, rather than a mindless shoot-'em-up. However, at times this causes the plot to lose momentum and become slightly uneven, leaving the audience somewhat lost within the story structure. Fortunately, however, the true story is both exciting and interesting enough to provide a good number of both cerebral and kinetic scenes; the FBI's methods are explored to a sensible degree, and the action scenes are nicely balanced with the love story between Dillinger and Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard), along with the other interpersonal relationships. The film uses humor sparsely but well, mostly relying on Dillinger's dry wit and irresistible charm; in one memorable scene, the prosecutor unconsciously puts his arm around the prisoner for a photo op, much to the chagrin of the other arresting officials. Unlike other, similar cat-and-mouse crime films, like 2007's American Gangster, neither the humor nor the tension rest on the fact that the 'good guys' are a step behind the more talented 'bad guys;' both the hunter and the hunted are competent and, as the film progresses, equally dangerous.

In a film containing such notorious characters as J. Edgar Hoover and John Dillinger, one might expect that one or two performances will overshadow the rest. However, the film surprises yet again and instead offers several balanced, under-the-top depictions from all of the lead actors. Depp, borrowing a light twangy accent from his own bootlegger grandfather, presents Dillinger as a suave, cocky charmer and a talented thief, but avoids caricature with various nuances, such as Dillinger's protectiveness of Billie and his preference for planning his heists carefully; he comments that is is a bad idea to work with anyone desperate, as it will jeopardize the plan and call unnecessary attention to the scheme. He doesn't attempt to make the man seem sweet and tragically misunderstood; he roughs up bank managers and shoots back at his pursuers with at least as much force as they unload upon him, but the fact remains that he is not the hardened, vicious criminal that the FBI claims that he is. While his actions are larger than life, he remains a decidedly normal person, memorably summarizing his fondnesses as “baseball, movies, good clothes, fast cars, whiskey and [Billie].” He robs banks because he can, believing that he will be caught only when he is careless enough to deserve it, and while his overconfidence is clearly his fatal flaw, he remains highly likable in his everyman-ness, easily relatable in both his desire for greatness and the commonness of his true nature. Depp provides Dillinger with both easygoing charisma and dark intensity in equal measure, racking up yet another impressive performance on his already remarkable resume.

Bale, while given far less to work with, is solid in his portrayal of the repressed, determined Special Agent Melvin Purvis, who quickly comes to take Dillinger's lawlessness and multiple escapes as a personal insult, hunting him down with increased ferocity and, at times, becoming as reckless as Dillinger himself in his pursuit. His character goes largely undeveloped, but in a way, it makes sense; his entire life is his job, and he loses himself in his fierce desire for justice. His ruthlessness does appear to make him more effective at his job, but Bale manages to subtly show the way that the price of 'justice' is, eventually, far higher than he expected or is prepared to pay. Marion Cotillard, last seen positively setting the screen on fire in her Oscar-winning performance in La Vie En Rose, is more delicate and subdued here, bringing out a gentler side of Dillinger and providing him with the true human connection he seems to lack. Their relationship barely has time to blossom before his actions overtake their lives, but there's something sweetly innocent about their union; they dream of running away together with their newfound wealth and dancing all night on a South American beach, and it's clear that they both really believe, or at least hope, that it is possible. Depp and Cotillard have a tender chemistry, saying more with their lingering glances than their dialogue, and most of the emotional resonance lies with them, although the film shrewdly avoids of the overwrought scenes of romantic cliché. The minor performances are strong across the board, most especially Billy Crudup (Watchmen) as the terse, merciless J. Edgar Hoover, compared to a bulldog in reality for both his appearance and nature, who is unpleasant without being cartoonish, and Stephen Graham (Snatch) as the infamous “Baby-Face” Nelson, a maniacal loose cannon who contrasts Dillinger's slick efficiency with his off-the-wall theatrics and violence. The story seems to be the most important part, and the actors are there to support it, not the other way around.

Ultimately, the film is an intriguing blend of past and present; the costumes (by Colleen Atwood), sets and dialogue are firmly '30s, but the themes and camera style give it a more modern feel. Elliot Goldenthal (Frida) provides a haunting, understated score, punctuated with a mixture of old Billie Holiday classics and newer blues pieces from Otis Taylor (most prominently the driving, catchy “Ten Million Slaves,” as heard in the film's trailer). The specific story is taken from Bryan Burrough's 2004 non-fiction work of the same title, a clever, fast-paced, detail-laden book that spends nearly 600 pages detailing the birth of “the modern FBI...in six hundred days.” This, perhaps, is the cause of the film's strengths as well as its weaknesses—its attention to detail and desire to tell the whole story rather than just skipping to the exciting parts makes for an intelligent, plot-driven drama, but at the same time, it causes some areas of uneven pacing and storytelling. Despite its attempt to be thorough, there simply is not enough time in a feature-length film to tell every bit of a complex real-life story, and some areas, such as the background of the history of the government before the creation of the FBI (which would help to show the significance and the impact of its creation), the relationships between Dillinger and his associates and the way in which Dillinger became Public Enemy #1, are conspicuous in their absence. Despite these narrative missteps, the whole thing is smartly underdone, saving its excitement for the right moments and then settling back into reasonably sophisticated storytelling. The ending is not preachy or heavy-handed, and it is up to the viewer to interpret the message and decide on its intention and its current cultural significance.

Grade: B+

I sent it into our local paper because I was told they were interested in getting reviews within a week of the film's release, but I doubt they'll want it, since the paper comes out on Thursday and it is Thursday and, you know, if they put it in next week, it'll be pretty late. But I wrote a polite (read: sniveling) e-mail saying that I would appreciate any critique or comments and have lots of other work I can send and plz can we be frendz and blah-blah-blah, so fingers crossed. And in a lovely coincidence, I found out that a letter I wrote to the Philadelphia Inquirer was printed today; when I checked my e-mail at 10:45 this morning, I already had three letters from readers, as well as a Facebook wall post from scimmia_romanov. :D It was about Michael Jackson and the media and didn't say anything I didn't say in my post on here, but it's a good feeling, especially since it's, like, a legit paper and it'll look good on a resume.

And in a freakish twist, I also got an e-mail saying I WON free advanced tickets to HBP from another newspaper, this time Philadelphia Weekly, which I have taken to calling "the bitchy hipster paper," since they're very artsy and grumpy and hate everything mainstream. (I was absolutely floored upon seeing that they gave PE an A.) I guess I have to be nice to them now! I entered on a whim and didn't think anything would come of it, but there you are, and it's Monday the 13th at 7:00 PM. \o/

Also: the aforementioned honorary bro gave me my X-mas present last night (I KNOW, RIGHT?): a full-sized cardboard cutout of Captain Jack Sparrow. No, really. It's actually fairly terrifying; it's taller than I am and I had to turn it around to face the wall so I could sleep, and even so I almost jumped out of my skin when I woke up and there was a huge dark shape looming over my bed. It's kind of a huge win. I'm thinking new Facebook photo, y/y?

I have to celebrate you, baby

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:00:58 GMT

Oh, lord, kids, my madness simply cannot be stopped.

So, as I mentioned, there was no NYC premiere of Public Enemies and I was quite sad about that. But then I found out that he was gonna be on Letterman tonight, so I was like "OH, HALE YEAH" and decided to make the 90-mile trip from Philly to New York because I love him and I am not so good with "no" and it's been a frickin' year and a half and I'm sure he misses me. I found out about this a week ago, though, so unfortunately for me, this means I had enough time to unconsciously create an elaborate fantasy of how the day would turn out; it went from 'maybe I'll see him' to a detailed scene of us cozily closeted in a midtown coffee shop, chuckling over our favorite books and sharing my iPod headphones to listen to the Vanishing Point soundtrack (which I have recently procured and which is excellent). But, you know.

So anyway, I went up there and got to the city around 10:30, and went straight to Letterman's studio on 53rd, and went inside to find out where the Crazy Stalker Door was. But there was a line of about 20 people already there, and I was stunned to find out they were doing a ticket lottery. I checked the website last week, and it seemed to say that one had to try for tickets way ahead of time and it might be for any day they chose and you had to answer a Late Show trivia question and all this, so I figured I'd just stand outside. But I tried for a ticket anyway (and offered to bribe the guy), and they said they'd call me before 1:00 if I'd won one, so I skulked around the city for an hour and a half clutching my phone and staring at it, and by 12:40 I was just depressed and decided to go back to the studio so I could get in the on-call line if necessary. But then I saw a barrier with a handful of people milling around across from the back stage door, so I was like "O SHIT" and went to stand over there. And they did not call me, and I was sad, but it turned out to be a good thing.

And so I waited. I ended up making friends with the people on either side of me (Laura, a middle-aged Springsteen fan from midtown and Kelsey, a musical theatre student) and we chatted and swore to take pictures of one another with him if possible, and lamented the fact that the other guest of the night was Megan Fox. (I literally howled "NOOOO! I DON'T WANT HER NEAR HIM!" when I read the news on the CBS website yesterday. BLECH.) And eventually Megan turned up, around 3:00-something, and came trotting right over to where I was, actually, and I snubbed her hardcore. Not gonna lie. I didn't even reach out for an autograph or say anything to her because I really do not like her and her blasphemous tattoo, but the 'professional' autograph-seeker douchebags behind me were like "MEGAN!!! MEGANNNNNN" and were practically smashing me in the head to get her to sign their shit (like, one dude had index cards) and I was like "PSSHH, WHATEVER, MOVE ON." But I did take one pic.

Hmmph. But then she went over to the paparazzi and they FREAKED OUT and were yelling at her and she was posing all dramatically and I was rolling my eyes, and I'm quite sure I'll be in the background of some US Weekly photo making an epic bitchface. But anyway.

The place REALLY filled up, and I was very surprised because I really don't know how that many people found out he was on--it's not exactly common knowledge, like a movie premiere. I knew because I make it my business to know, but all of those losers can't be ONTD addicts. I confess myself disappointed [/ralphdemort] because I was hoping to really get to talk to him, which would require fewer people being present, but then again, I can't really blame them. He finally came around 4:15 and everyone SHRIEKED like the undead and I started shaking, and he waved at us and gestured "I'll come back" because they are very punctual, apparently, and I finally ran off to pee (and Laura held my spot) and I came back and he came back out around 5:30 and there was more shrieking, and I threatened to nunchuck the guys behind me if they interfered with my moment.

Of course, he signed for eeeeeveryone because he is lovely and nice, and once he got towards me I saw that everyone was touching him; one old lady patted his cheek, which would have freaked me out, but he just took it because he's lovely that way. And I had a bevy of things I was planning to say, like that I read Public Enemies (which I had for him to sign; he smiled when he saw it in my hand) as well as The Rum Diary and Shantaram and saw Manhattan Melodrama, or I thought maybe he'd notice my necklace (which is a miniature version of the rose window at Notre Dame in Paris) and we'd talk about France, or I'd say I came from Philly because I loved him so, or I'd ask about the kids because he loves talking about them, or I'd mention I was the chick with the rose back in '07, or I'd just blurt out "I have just met you and I love you!" because I know he's seen every kids' movie because of the little ones...but it was pandemonium and there wasn't time, so I just touched his arm lightly (the right one, on the "Jack" tattoo) and said "I love you so much, really I do!" and he smiled at me again and said "thank you, that's sweet" or something akin to that (which is what Angie said to David, endearingly enough). I tried to shake his hand, but he was too far away and didn't hear me and is a rightie anyway, so he was busy signing. STILL...!

And he signed for simply everyone (and seemed to get upset when people got hurt or shoved or something several yards down from me; I couldn't see what was happening) and waved to us as he got in his car, and I blew him a kiss as he drove off and it was lovely, lovely, lovely. The alarming thing is that I wasn't even that nervous, not like last time--I've gotten so insane that I actually think we're pals and don't feel that nervous around him because, like, we ~get~ each other. It's more disturbing than me shaking and crying, because it's just a bit more delusional. And I'm not bummed that we didn't get to have a real conversation because this isn't remotely my last attempt; it's just the second of...many. ♥♥♥♥

I have much to say about all the insane news going on in the world, both celebrity and otherwise, but I am so overwhelmed ATM (and in desperate need of a shower; standing in 80-degree weather for five-ish hours makes one sweaty) that I will have to do so in another post tomorrow or so. Man, I can't WAIT to brag at work. P.S., watch the show at 11:35!

ETA: AHHH, JESUS CHRIST, I was just on Letterman!!! They did a quick shot of Megan signing autographs and I was on the left of the screen, trying to take a picture. And making a bitchface. EPIC!

it would be so fine to see your face at my door

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:08:19 GMT

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHNNY!

I am most aggrieved that we won't get to see each other this year, and I'm sure you've peeved too--WTF, Universal?! But I'll be there for The Rum Diary, or Imaginarium, or PotC 4 or 5 or 19 or whatever the hell we get to. And then we can go hang out on the island: that VF article was pure awesomeness incarnate. ("Oh shit, a barracuda! Come look! It's the only species more terrifying than a terrier dog.") We'll have a daiquiri (strawberry, please) and crank some tunes (naturally, since we are soulmates, the song mentioned in the article, "All I Have to Do is Dream," is one I grew up listening to--this shit doesn't even surprise me anymore, you know). Until then, have a wonderful 46th and many happy returns. I am now going to crank some Stones in your honor.

All my love,
the bestest fangirl ever xxx

awesome meme time

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:52:14 GMT

I couldn't resist:

MIRANDA BAILEY IS THE ULTIMATE HBIC.

And don't you forget it.

the sloth continues

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:24:13 GMT

Still not doing too well in the job department. My old pizza place offered me Saturdays, which isn't bad, but it's still not a lot. I admit I'm enjoying sleeping in and watching movies (and possibly having a standing date with scimmia_romanov for the $6 Wednesdays at the Ritz downtown), but making money would be nice too. :P

The good news, however, is that I am upgrading my phone (for free!) and my new one is the bomb diggity. I should have it tomorrow or Monday; it's been shipped to my dad's work and then I have to go into the store to have my numbers transferred and stuff. Holler!

New moodtheme as well. ♥ And my extra userpics is running out quite soon; maybe this will be the year I have the willpower to not renew it. (But I doubt it.)

And a meme, stolen from lots of people:
Name your 10 absolute favorite couples (het/slash/canon/fanon) and ask people to see what trends they notice about your couples. Try to pick different fandoms.

1. Sirius/Remus (Harry Potter)
2. Matt/Elektra (Marvel comics)
3. Brian/Justin ("Queer As Folk" US)
4. Jim/Pam ("The Office" US)
5. Sylar/Mohinder ("Heroes")
6. Des/Penny ("Lost")
7. House/Wilson ("House")
8. Luke/Lorelai ("Gilmore Girls" - S1-5 only)
9. Ned/Chuck ("Pushing Daisies")
10. Tulio/Miguel (The Road to El Dorado)

Boo, way too much canon. :( And maybe they're not my absolute favorites, but they're close.

this is why we're on the edge

Elektra6963@gmail.com — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:31:28 GMT

1. Went to the pizza place from last summer to beg for my job back, and they gave me a succinct "we'll call you." They're just not that into me. Shockingly, I can't really find anything else, so far. I've been checking Craigslist obsessively, but as I'm not a welder nor someone willing to donate my eggs for money, my choices are slim. Sigh.

2. Have started watching "Rome" and am six episodes in. Atia of the Julii is rivaling both Vanessa Fisk and Eloise Hawking as the most appalling fictional mother of all time. I'm loving young!Octavian, though, as well as the Vorenus/Pullo bromance, of course. And the costumes are fabulous. And KMcK's little accent-slips make me squee.

3. Also watched the premiere of "Glee" and was glad to be home alone so I could cheerfully sing along to show tunes and REO Speedwagon and Journey. I SO wish it was a summer show, since I haven't got one of those since they canceled "Last Comic Standing" (NOOOO! WHY?!), and I have way too many fall shows. But it's got that great blend of corniness and political incorrectness that I love so much. Dare I say that Lea Michele is the Idina for the next generation? I think maybe.

4. Going to the beach this weekend, hooray! It's lovely to be back in a land where it gets above 60°F, ever.

5. 10 days until la_belle_ange and I are reunited for some Trekkian goodness! ♥