Confession: It’s been months now since I watched this. I took so long to sit down and write this review, that I can’t really remember exactly what happened in the movie or what most of my notes are trying to tell me. I suppose I could do a re-re-watch, but…I don’t wanna. There’s a reason I wasn’t really enthusiastic about writing up this review in the first place, after all. This is one of those weird times when I actually prefer the sequel. Anyway, I’m just gonna jump in and hopefully, this review will make some kind of coherent sense.
I’ve always been shy. It’s sometimes hard for me to speak up for myself or get angry with people who deserve it, because I avoid conflict like it’s my job. So I love seeing women–real or fictional–who aren’t afraid to speak up or get angry. These kick-ass ladies become my role models. They inspire me to stop being shy and to stand up for myself. And without a doubt, one of these women I aspire to be is Julia Sugarbaker.
I loved watching Designing Women reruns back when they were on Lifetime, and my favorite episodes were the ones where Julia got to yell at someone and be awesome while doing so. She stood up for herself, for her sister, for her friends. She was their champion, the one who never backed down or let anyone treat them without the respect they deserved. She was a wonderful comedic character, but she was also one of my role models. And no one could have played her like Dixie Carter.
So thank you, Dixie Carter, for giving such life and spirit to one of my favorite fictional ladies. You’ll be missed. Rest in peace.
Yes, yes, I’ve already obsessed over Peter O’Toole. Just be happy you don’t know me in real life, because I talk about this dude all the time. (Sorry about that. Except not really at all.) This post has been brought to you by my random discovery on YouTube that Peter O’Toole was in a Pizza Hut commerical in the 90s. In which he recited Shakespeare. Backwards.
I’m pretty sure I should be sad that his talent has been wasted on commercials for crappy pizza, but I can’t stop playing this over and over again and then clapping my hands in delight and wonder. Shut up, this is the only place I can see him reciting Hamlet.
I’m familiar with Winnie the Pooh and his pals. Of course, I am–who isn’t? But this was my first time watching this movie. And I didn’t really understand how that could be, because I’ve definitely seen parts of this movie before–I’ve watched Pooh pretend to be a raincloud, and I’ve seen him get stuck in Rabbit’s door. And then I read that this “movie” is actually a compilation of three Winnie the Pooh shorts that were made forever ago, and that made a whole lot more sense. And it made me feel a little less weird for not having seen the movie in its entirety. (And yet, I don’t want to think about how much Winnie the Pooh-related merchandise I own…including an Eeyore keychain…)
Man, I love this movie. I’ve gotten used to hating the character of Robin Hood with all my heart and soul because I really despised him on the BBC show Robin Hood, but this Robin makes my heart flutter. It’s one of those things no one admits until someone else says it first, so I’ll just put it out there: the Disney Robin Hood is a fox. I mean, yes, he’s literally an anthropomorphized fox, but…he’s also a fox, if you know what I mean. And yeah, you do know. Don’t deny it. If you were also an anthropomorphized fox, you’d be all over that.
A window into the lives of YoSaffBridge and myself.
The following exchange occurred around 9:50 PST over text messages, concerning thisnews which, I will say again, is the greatest casting news of all time. Don’t argue with me.
Carmhelga: nph going to gueststar on glee!!!111!1!!
YoSaffBridge: ON JOSS’ EPISODE. do we read ontd at the same time?
Carmhelga: no, you read it when my sister does. She just posted the ontd link on my facebook and I like, stroked out from the excitement. this was right after i finished the house episode where house & wilson pretend to be a gay couple. television is good to me sometimes.
The Jennifer Lopez guest spot I can do without, but NPH guesting on Glee is like adding awesome berries into an already awesome pie. And Joss Whedon is the awesome ice cream that goes with it. You think maybe the awesome is going to be overpowering, but then you realize it’s juuust right.
Carmhelga may hate me for this, because she’s still mourning the imminent departure of David Tennant on Doctor Who, but after seeing this new trailer, I am SUPER EXCITED for series five.
Some things I’m flailing about:
1) I can’t even tell you how much the Doctor’s bow tie has swayed my opinion. After Matt Smith was first announced as the eleventh doctor, I was so afraid we were going to go in some kind of emo-kid direction with the Doctor. But then the bow tie gave me hope that they’re going to make Eleven kind of a dork. That would be really okay with me. I’m hoping for some social awkwardness with a side of badass. I have this feeling I’m actually going to love Eleven, and I’m not really sure where it comes from (other than the bow tie).
2) Karen Gillan’s hair entrances me. Again, I was worried at first since they were making both the Doctor and his companion so young, but…I’m sorry, I’m too distracted by her shiny red hair to even care anymore. But I don’t want there to be another romance a la the Doctor/Rose angstfest, please. Some casual flirting is allowed. I’m not worried about the kiss in the trailer, because they ALWAYS come up with a way for the Doctor and his companion to kiss. Even Donna kissed him.
3) THE ANGELS FROM “BLINK” ARE BACK. Steven Moffat, your episodes are always my favorites, but I also like sleeping at night. Please keep that in mind.
4) Actually, that’s the one thing that always makes me excited about the new season. Moffat’s episodes from the last four seasons have been so consistently wonderful, and I’m insanely excited to see what he does with the show.
Until then, I’m gonna go cry some more over Tennant.
There is nothing in the world quite like a West Wing Christmas episode. The first three seasons’ Christmas episodes basically won supporting actor emmys for the actor featured most prominently: Richard Schiff, Bradley Whitford, and finally, wonderfully, John Spencer.
In the first season, Toby Ziegler is drawn into the story of a homeless Korean War Veteran who dies of exposure on the National Mall a few days before Christmas. He eventually arranges for a funeral for the man, and finds the man’s brother, another homeless man with an unspecified mental illness.
The second season revolves around the post-traumatic stress syndrome of Josh Lyman, who was shot at the beginning of the season. In the days before Christmas, he becomes irritable and unstable, and his friends take note. Leo eventually brings in a trauma specialist, to try to help Josh deal with his problems. This is the speech Leo gives him at the end of the episode, and it’s such a wonderful bit of Leo in a nutshell.
Speaking of Leo, in the third season Christmas episode, Leo takes center stage. Leo is testifying before congress about the President’s decision to withhold knowledge of his Multiple Sclerosis. But the real problem for Leo is that he, a recovering alcoholic, relapsed several years previously, during what turned out to be an MS attack by the President. He is saved from having to testify about this at the last minute by a recess, but the episode’s heart is the friendship between Leo & Jed Bartlett.
Excuse me, I’m just crying like a baby, don’t mind me.
So, several months ago, as a direct result of some good old-fashioned insomnia, I posted this list of nerdy things I totally wished I had.
Now, inspired by various family members’ demand for a “christmas list” from me, and some pretty outstanding shirts I have come across in the last few days, I present another list of weird, nerdy, and occasionally useless things I would totally by for myself if I wasn’t a broke student.
(Incidentally, I am really not difficult to buy for, I promise, but people seem to need very specific instructions for some reason…)
This is random, but... 