'Tis the season...

My favorite holiday tv specials? Click here to see if you agree...

Traditions

My Thanksgiving traditions, in pictures:

First....The Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade


circa: 1924, when the big event started...


Here's Mickey now.


It'd be fun to see it once....
Naaahh... too many people!


Then comes the turkey!!
Yay!


Pecan?


Or Pumpkin?


Then a bit of football, of course!
Maybe a nap, too!
Zzzzzzz...

Then some classic Thanksgiving entertainment:


Love this movie: Hysterical!


"Neal, Why are you holding my hand?"
"Where's your other hand?'
"Between two pillows..."
"Those aren't pillows!!!!!!!"



Have a Happy Thanksgiving, no matter what your traditions may be!

Twilight mania

Well ~ I was one of the contributors of the bloody good haul that Twilight produced over it's mega-prosperous opening weekend.
It made over $70 million ($35 million on Friday alone) and the sequel (New Moon) has been green-lighted by Summit Entertainment (yay!)...
Looks like many more Twilight posts in the future.... sorry.

But for those of you who haven't read the books or seen the first movie, again I say: tough.
Get out there and be a part of pop culture.

I've read and heard all kinds of varying reviews on the movie.
My pop culture bible (Entertainment Weekly) gave it a "B" and so I concur.
I won't say it was an "A" - there were some flaws, truth be told.

But I was so enamoured with the books it would have taken something as god-awful as 'Eyes Wide Shut' for me to hate it.

I must say, I liked it quite a bit.
In fact, I'd love to see it again and dissect it a bit further.
But for now -

Here are my thoughts, in a very random order:

*The director (Catherine Hardwicke) did the best she could with the running time of the film.
Even though there were alot of elements from the book I would have liked to see in the movie, it was two hours long already. (Though I could have sat through a longer film)

*Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) looked like Edward Scissorhands throughout the entire film.
Somebody give the boy (undead or not) some Dulcolax.

James, Laurent & Victoria

*The bad vampires totally looked like rock stars - that was cool.
Bummer that we won't see James in New Moon (sorry, spoiler!) - Cam Gigandet is quite a good looking dude, especially without that long blonde hair:

*The scene where Bella joins the Biology class is hysterical (maybe it wasn't supposed to be, but it was)... Edward looks like he's about to spew. His facial expression ("aghast" is all I can describe it as) is just plain funny. He's covering his nose cause he doesn't want to have to smell Bella's scent because it makes him want to devour her... If you hadn't read the book prior, this scene would have been completely confusing to you.

*In the same vein (no pun intended), I think the part from the book where Bella faints at the sight of blood in Biology class (and Edward 'rescues' her and takes her to the nurse) was truly a necessary element that they unwisely left out.
What is more ironic than a girl who can't stand the sight of blood dating a vampire?

*Liked the 'Edward saves Bella from oncoming van' scene. It's where Bella starts thinking 'something isn't quite right here in Forks'.

*Jacob is gonna have to wear lifts for New Moon.

And the boy is only 16 and still looks like a baby.
While he is attractive (more so without the long wig), he isn't exactly casted perfectly - the director should have assumed they would be making New Moon and chosen someone with a bit more weight and height. In New Moon he is (spoiler alert) a tall, hefty werewolf/shape-shifter!

Bella and Charlie greet Billy & Jacob Black

*However, Charlie (Billy Burke) and Billy (Gil Birmingham) were perfectly cast.

*How come Bella and her dad were always eating at the diner?
Didn't she constantly cook for Charlie?

Wasn't that part of her charm?

A rare smile from Bella (Kristen Stewart, with Rob Pattinson)

*Bella didn't smile too much, that's for sure.
In the book she was exceedingly happy most of the time she was with Edward.
In the movie, she looked rather frightened of him in alot of scenes, though she kept insisting she wasn't afraid. Not cohesive.
At least Rob Pattinson was smiling alot more as Edward.
(When he wasn't brooding or lamenting in sorrow at his vampy misfortune, all the while looking like he ate some bad Chinese or something.)
But I still admit he was the best choice for the role. Sure, he can look forboding and creepy, but he is actually a good looking guy.

LOVE the hair.

*We needed a bit more 'Cullen time"

The Cullens:

Emmet, Rosalie, Esme, Edward, Carlisle, Alice and Jasper

I assume we will get more as the films progress... but a bit more development would have been nice - some backstory perhaps? They basically laid it all out in the first book.. to add it in later movies will be awkward.

*The biggest dig I've heard against the film was regarding the special effects, which I agree were sub-par, but I know they had a measly budget this go around.

It will take some doing in the next movie, with shape-shifting werewolves taking center stage.
But with the money it made already, they are well on their way to a bigger budget.

*Loved the scene at the school where Edward says 'I'm going to hell anyway' and puts his arm around Bella - with those shades on, he never looked cooler in the whole film.

*The kissing scene was, for lack of a better word, hot.

In the book there was more where that came from.... think we could have elaborated a bit on those parts.

How about when Edward would crawl under the covers with her and talk? Then she would fall asleep in his arms.
There was no hanky-panky there to worry about, just an intimacy that was somewhat halted in the movie version.
Another great missing scene was when he kissed her the second time and she fainted? That would have been completely appropriate and cohesive to the screenplay.

*Must give a shoutout to the music of Twilight. Great job scoring by Carter Burwell, and the soundtrack songs were placed in the perfect places.

In particular 'Supermassive Black Hole' by Muse - rockin' that Cullen baseball game.
That was the best!

The best scene from the movie was at the very end.

Loved the 'Edward goes for the neck" shot...

Would have been fine to just stop there.

Kind of a cliffhanger...?

*For some info on what will be on the DVD release, here's a link to give you some ideas.

It's an interview with director Catherine Hardwicke, who's already working on extras and deleted scenes for the DVD.

Okay, I'm done obsessing for now.

Joining the club

Hey, my brother Bill started his own blog - you can check it out here.
Should be full of snarky, sarcastic, and cynical comments just like his sister's.

Welcome aboard, bro!

Frightening

When I was younger, I used to be a fan of Mickey Rourke.

Even though you couldn't call him good looking, there was something inherently sexy about the man.

The first time I saw 9 1/2 weeks, I thought he was the coolest thing since sliced bread.

with Kim Basinger in 9 1/2 Weeks

Angel Heart was a real fave of mine too, and I thought he did a pretty good job of playing a confused gumshoe in New Orleans voodoo land.

Angel Heart

He was in alot of critically acclaimed roles, such as Barfly, Diner, Rumble Fish, Body Heat, The Pope of Greenwich Village - as well as popular films such as Harley Davidson & The Marlboro Man, Sin City, and the aforementioned 9 1/2 Weeks and Angel Heart.

But what the hell has happened to the man?

Mickey Rourke circa NOW.

After falling off the face of the earth after a string of less than stellar films, he has re-emerged as a different person.

Now I know people age, I get that.

But morphing into another species is something all together different.

oh my goodness!

He spent a bit of time in the 90's as a boxer (for which he was trained when he was young) and I guess that must have really messed him up.
I've also heard plastic surgery stories, but if they are true then he should be filthy rich from suing for medical malpractice..
He's not in the Witness Protection program, Doc.

I do hear he is making a comeback of sorts, so I wish him well...

But he sure doesn't look like the same actor I once knew.

Brand steals the show.

Another Judd Apatow comedy!?
This guy is unreal, the amount of hit comedies he has been involved with in the last few years.

Starting with Anchorman (2004) and moving on to The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), Talladega Nights (2006), Knocked Up, Superbad, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (all 2007), Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Step Brothers and Pineapple Express (all 2008) - this guy amazes me that he has any comedic thoughts left.

Anyway, I'm actually not much for comedies (to the chagrin of my laugh-loving hubby) but I watch my fair share anyway, because I love him and want him to continue to cook for me :)

I really liked The 40-Year Old Virgin and thought Knocked Up was a raunchy hoot. The others listed above I have not seen, but then again - I'm really not the biggest Will Farrell fan.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall was pretty typical 'boy loses girl, boy chases lost girl, boy finds out girl isn't worth it, boy finds new girl' kind of flick, but it had its moments.


cast of Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Peter (played by Jason Segel, who I found out starred in the defunct yet critically acclaimed tv show Freaks and Geeks - produced by none other than Judd Apatow!) is a composer with a tv star girlfriend, Sarah (Kristin Bell of Veronica Mars fame)... they have been together 5 years when she comes home and tells him things are over. This moment is pretty amusing all on its own, since Peter is stark naked when she tells him and he just freakin' stands there...

Sarah then admits there is someone else. She leaves and he is absolutely broken hearted.

After a few rousing turns at the singles scene, Peter's step brother tells him he ought to get away to try to "forget Sarah Marshall"!
So he goes to Hawaii.
Why someone would go to a couples paradise like that is beyond me, but...



Mila Kunis and Jason Segel

In Hawaii he meets the very beautiful resort receptionist Rachel (Mila Kunis), who takes an interest in Peter after he spots his ex, Sarah - who is apparently vacationing with her new boyfriend, rockstar Aldous Snow (played by the hilarious Brit, Russell Brand) at the exact same resort Peter is at. (Seriously, what are the odds... I know, it's a movie).


Kristin Bell and Russell Brand



Rachel lets him stay in a gorgeous suite at the resort (when does this ever happen?) and he firmly decides he will stay there because he's got to move on.

Amidst much sobbing over his failed relationship, spying on his ex and her new lover, and making some other random friends (including a few of Apatow's regulars, Paul Rudd and Jonah Hill) - Peter starts caring for Rachel, and realizes that perhaps Sarah was a shallow, unappreciative snot.

For me, the scenes with Russell Brand - and there are alot - were my favorites. He is a nasty, foul individual in real life so I hear - but holy crap is he a funny actor. His rock star persona was spot-on and downright priceless. It is my understanding that Apatow is developing a spin off of the Aldous Snow character for his own film. It would just have to be funny, I'm telling you.



There were several pretty inane and half-baked moments, like the part where Peter is writing a Dracula Puppet Musical (huh? I just might leave him, too!) , but all in all, it was a pretty humorous 117 minutes.

Check it out.

The Twilight Zone!

Well, Twilight-mania is upon us.
And I'm not talkin' tv here.

Twilight opened to theaters across America late last night - for midnight showings.
Crazy, eh? I'm wondering how many moms had to trek out at the witching hour last night to take their teenage daughters to the first viewings.

Here in the Pittsburgh area it was snowing like a sonofabitch at midnight last night. (I know this because I was on the way home from the Steelers game - whoo-hoo! - We crushed those Bengals!) Anyway, I suppose driving in the blizzarding snow with hazardous road conditions would still be preferable to hearing your 15 year old whining and bawling her eyes out if she couldn't make it to the theater.

And I also wonder how many absentee students there were in high schools across America today...?
As for me, with the excitement I have been trying to contain about seeing this movie, I feel like I am 16 again. And that's a long time ago.

I'm sure all of you who are unfamiliar with our seemingly insane Twilight fetishes are just about sick of hearing about it. To all of you, I say: Tough!

I'm heading off with my cousin Nickie to see it tommorrow, and I somehow doubt will be the only adults in the theater. I'm excited to see how the book is adapted to the screen. And of course I'm hoping it makes a ton of green stuff so the sequels will be a go...

After all, I can't wait to see all the 'feathers' from Breaking Dawn. Know what I mean?

I'll report back with opinions tommorrow.

Whether you like it or not :)

According to People magazine:

photo: People magazine


Hugh Jackman is the new "Sexiest Man Alive", according to People Magazine...
Guess Johnny Depp was busy, eh?

Happy Birthday!

Just want to say Happy Birthday to my cousin Nickie!



Hope your birthday is a happy one!
Let's celebrate!



(but not too much...)

It just keeps getting stranger...

Found this story today from the Associated Press about a guy who accosted his girlfriend with a sandwich. Must be a slow news day.

You just have to read it to believe it.
And no, I don't know if it was a club sandwich.

People really are strange, aren't they??

Mousey Milestones!!

Mickey Mouse is 80!!

The Walt Disney company is celebrating this treasured rodent's birthday in accordance to the anniversary of the release of 'Steamboat Willie'... Mickey's first big role.

Steamboat Willie - 1928 - How sweet is he here?
I just wanna hug his whole face.

Mickey went on to make quite an impression on the world.
Cartoon shorts, movies, books, tv, Mickey Mouse Club, comic strips & books, Disneyland, Disney World, merchandise (a huge category of its own, really), toys, video games, ice capades, music... the list goes on.

Mickey even has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame - and was the first cartoon character to have one, as it should be. That happened on his 50th birthday - 30 years ago!

Another big role was Fantasia (above), of course- and that is one of my favorites.
(Though I must admit in all honesty, I was rather frightened of the marching broomsticks.

Just a tad freaky.)

Mickey strikes a classic pose.

I'm a HUGE Mickey fan, always have been. I like most of the Disney characters well enough, but Mickey is the cat's meow (bad analogy, I know) for me.
He is sweet, charming, almost always happy, and just plain makes me feel good when I see him.

Who else can say that? (well, maybe the hubby - but he's not raking in billions of dollars every year, now is he? )

And I love that Mickey Mouse voice. Over the years it has been many people, I'm sure, but they all have that specific falsetto sound...
(You're trying to imitate it right now, aren't you?)

Ok, I'm not a fan of Minnie, I'll admit.
Maybe it's just cause I'm jealous and want Mickey all to myself, I don't know.

But they do look too cute in the above pic.

Thanks for all the memories, Mickey - and for making children (and adults!) smile all around the world! You're still my favorite cartoon character, hands down.
Guess I should say thanks to Walt Disney, the man, as well...
Though I think he should be thanking Mickey even more than me!