Chuck vs. the Fat Lady

Let me talk Chuck for a second because last night was a great installment. Poor Chuck just can't catch a break in love. On one hand, he has lots more ladies fawning over him since he is basically a spy, but on the other hand, he sure does it screwed over a lot in the love department.

Jill helps Chuck help Sarah and Casey to save the day, and Chuck really wins over the girl. So much so that they decide to run away together (at which point Chuck says, "Safe at last."), just in time for Sarah and Casey to discover that Jill is Fulcrum. NO!

Favorite moments from tonight's episode:

"I have heard the loading dock is like a Five for Fighting concert. So fierce." Said by Emmett (Tony Hale) when he is trying to get Chuck and Morgan to fess up to a pot-smoking secret.

"I don't even care about my own feelings, Bartowski." Said by Casey (Adam Baldwin) when Chuck tries to discuss his feelings with him.

When the secret coded box requires a musical high C, Chuck says, "Where is a pitch pipe when you need one?" This is followed immediately by Casey busting out a high C and the proceeding confession that Casey was a choir boy (not hatched from an egg).
By the way, I checked and this was not a high C. It was an E. Yeah, I am a nerd.

"Nerd code!" Said by Casey after Chuck and Jill plan a meeting using all scientific jargon.

Emmett joins the poker table and brings along a Fuzzy Navel wine cooler that apparently "tastes like high school." It also tastes like high school coming back up, as Emmett can't hold his liquor (or 2 bottles of wine cooler).

Morgan protects Chuck even when he discovers Chuck is a lying cheater. I am enjoying their friendship lately.

LA Twilight Premiere

With only a slight sense of shame, I braved the crowds in Westwood last night for the LA Twilight premiere. While I heard that people spent a couple of nights camped out for great seats, I arrived after the mayhem started. So I can at least claim SOME sense of dignity. As a result, I missed seeing Taylor Lautner (Jacob Black) and Cam Gigandet (James). But there were no shortage of Twilight-star sightings. Here is who I managed to see:

Robert Pattinson (Edward)
Kristen Stewart (Bella)
Peter Facinelli (Carlisle) with wife Jenny Garth
Kellan Lutz (Emmett)
Nikki Reed (Rosalie)
Rachelle Lafevre (Victoria)
Billy Burke (Charlie)

I got some absolutely TERRIBLE quality photos of some of the stars (Rob Pattinson, Peter Facinelli and Jenny Garth, Nikki Reed), but they are proof I was there, at least... I am not posting any because they are terrible, so here is a professional one instead.

By time Rob Pattinson showed up, we just wanted a glimpse and then left because I was literally being climbed by 13 year old girls who were so short that they could see nothing. I was covered in sweat from being in a mosh pit of teens.

We hit up Corner Bakery, which tastily topped off the experience. However, I am not sure I need to do that again...

Movie: Slumdog Millionaire

Tuesday night, we had the opportunity to catch a free screening of Slumdog Millionaire, the latest film from director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later), based on the novel Q & A by Vikas Swarup. Unfortunately, I got there late and sat in the second row. But that did not take away from my enjoyment of seeing this one in the theater.

Written by Simon Beaufoy (The Full Monty, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day), Slumdog Millionaire is the story of a young man named Jamal Malik (Dev Patel, Skins) who goes on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? However, he performs so well on the show that he is arrested before the final question. It is unheard of for anyone to do so well at all, let alone for an uneducated boy from the slums of Mumbai. Through flashbacks, we are told Jamal's story of being homeless, pickpocketing and scamming tourists for money and food. On top of the action of the coming-of-age story, and the excitement of the game show plot, this film is steeped in romance as Jamal finds and loses his love Latika multiple times over the course of their youth. Through everything, he continues to look for her.

Patel was great as the grown Jamal. I had seen him in Skins, and while I liked him as Anwar, his role in this film is so much more gritty and required a great deal more acting skill. The audience clapped for him during the credits. I also enjoyed the performance by Irfan Khan (whom I recognized from The Namesake) as the detective.

On top of the story and acting, the color, the Indian music with heavy beats, the culture, and the editing made this a pleasing film to see. I can't say enough good things about it. One fun thing about seeing movies in Los Angeles is that people clap at the end of movies. They don't do that in Texas. This one garnered some heavy applause.

[Side note: I am heading to Mumbai for several months in 2009, and I am not sure if seeing this made me feel confident about going, but I doubt it will be the same for me.]

Check out the trailer below:

Firefly & Serenity

I'll just place a big SPOILER ALERT here at the beginning.

I became a fan of Joss Whedon in 2001 when I did a two-episode-a-day catch-up with Buffy the Vampire Slayer when it was in syndication on FX. I then jumped on board with the final two seasons when they aired. A few years later, I did something similar with Angel. Most recently, I watched Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog online (as well as purchased it on itunes). Needless to say, he won me over but I never quite found enough interest in his ill-fated Fox series Firefly. The content didn't appeal to me much, I guess. But after several random recommendations lately, I discovered it at the library and picked it up. Here are my thoughts:

Firefly
I can't say I was immediately sucked into Firefly, but over the course of the series, I grew to care about the characters and had hopes for the storyline. The idea of The Wild West mixed with a little outer space, sprinkled with a smidge of pirates is not one I would have come up with on my own. Leave it to the mind of Joss Whedon to come up with something so odd. But it worked. The main planets were much more advanced by way of technology, and then less-inhabited moons might as well have had tumbleweeds blowing by. Historically, it all kind of made sense.

Captain Malcolm Reynolds, played by Nathan Fillion, was an interesting mix of pragmatism and sensitivity. He really cared about his crew and would risk his life for them, but he would also risk their lives if it was the right thing to do. He could be a jerk but you forgave him that because he had a lot of heart. Similarly to Buffy, he made a lot of snarky Whedon-y remarks in the face of danger.

Summer Glau redeemed herself as I didn't like her much from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (not really her fault as she is playing an emotion-less terminator, but her character just leaves me so cold). River is an enigma and I enjoyed watching her story unfold. River's brother Simon (played by Sean Maher) brought an interesting dynamic to Serenity as an uptight, highly educated, high-strung doctor.

Wash (Alan Tudyk) and Zoe (Gina Torres) didn't make a lot of sense to me as a couple. But they grew on me, and I guess the whole point was how different they were. Wash has some great comedic moments and is very likable.

I kept waiting for Jayne (Adam Baldwin) to show some sort of positive characteristics, or to have some sort of redeeming moment. His best moment was in "Jaynestown" but even then, I was left wanting a little more from him. But granted, we were only given fourteen episodes, and given Jayne's past, that is a quick redemption.

The cast was just well-rounded and really worked well together. You can tell they really enjoyed working together.

My favorite episodes were "Our Mrs. Reynolds" (Christina Hendricks of Mad Men played the heck out of Saffron, and I was taken completely by surprise when she revealed her true self; the episode was quite goofy), "Out of Gas" (Mal basically decides to go down with this ship, but not before kicking some butt, which ultimately leads to him saving the day), and "War Stories" (I have always enjoyed when side characters get sucked into the battles (see Marshall spying it up on certain eps of Alias) and no one thought twice about taking a gun and going after Mal and Wash).

Serenity
Given that the feature film had a bigger budget (not huge, but bigger), Whedon had a while to work on the script, the story had to be good enough to haul people out to the theater, the actors were so glad to be back to work on Firefly, and especially that FOX was not releasing the film, I found Serenity to be very entertaining, and enjoyed it more than the series itself.

There were great action sequences, some real progression in the story line (especially with River). River got to kick some major butt, and it was shot really beautifully, kind of like a dance (I understand Summer Glau is trained dancer). Chiwetel Ejiofor was great as the operative without a name. He is just the guy that gets it done. Er... most of the time, anyway. Might I mention that Nathan Fillion looked more handsome in Serenity? Perhaps, it was the new hair, or the couple of years aging in between. Whedon never shies away from killing his main characters, both to keep viewers on their toes and to be realistic. The death of Shepherd Book was harsh, but as soon as I saw the ravaged haven, I thought it was a possibility. However, the death of Wash was unexpected and really sad, especially as he had just saved the day!

All in all, I enjoyed the series and feature film. It did not catch my attention when the shows were originally airing, but now that I know the story, characters, etc. I would be very interested to see where else things could be taken (a new movie would be great!).

Chuck vs The Ex

I can't resist blogging about Chuck. It is one of my favorite shows right now. Zach Levi plays Chuck in a way that I can't resist watching. And loving it. He's cute but he is geeky...er...nerdy, I mean. He is really smart but not good with ladies (or at least he doesn't think he is).

Tonight's episode was really fun as it added a new layer to the already confusing relationship between Sarah and Chuck: Jill, Chuck's ex-girlfriend from his Stanford years (yeah, the one that cheated on him with Bryce Larkin). She shows up in town and Chuck flashes on her boss, which requires him to take her on a date to probe her for information. The date goes horribly wrong and leads Chuck to grovelling, eventually confessing to being CIA, and helping to save the day (and prove his manliness).

Jordana Brewster plays Jill, and the two have great chemistry. And while it would be mean of Sarah to deny Chuck some romance in a real relationship, it is certainly clear that she is hurting watching their relationship play out.

Jill is not the only one that got to smooch Chuck tonight. When trying to save the day, Chuck believes that an antidote in his system would be transferred to others via saliva. So he gives an ailing Casey a nice big smooch on the mouth. This was absolutely cracking me up, about as much as Casey wearing that getup in the restaurant. I should mention that I literally finished watching Serenity 5 minutes before Chuck started tonight, and the thought of Jayne in such a position was more than amusing.

Back at the Buy More, Big Mike chokes on a donut and the associates are required by Emmett to complete a life-saving training course, conducted by none other than Awesome! It was a fun use of the Buy More crew and an interesting way of bringing Awesome into contact with some characters he doesn't normally interact with.

This was a great episode, and I can't wait till next week when Chuck will seemingly choose Jill over Sarah, Casey, the NSA & CIA, and the Intersect altogether. I love this show!

Extra Extra!

In an effort to blog more often (and the reason behind my lack of blog posts lately being my new job), I am now going to whip up a quick post about my newest venture in employment. I have recently been working as a background actor, aka an extra. Most people do background work to break into acting. However, my main purpose was to have flexibility, a little spending money, and to do something fun. It has been a treat working on TV sets of shows I enjoy and meeting lots of fun and different people.

Today, I hit the mother lode as far as star-watching is concerned. Let me preface this by saying that, when you work a show, it isn't quite as exciting to see the actors from that show because you know they are going to be there. However, guest stars and other surprises like that are always fun for me because they take me by surprise. My friend Amy saw Harrison Ford last weekend and we decided that may be the "best" celeb-spotting either of us has done. I would like to challenge her Harrison Ford and raise her a Clint Eastwood. Yes, Clint Eastwood was driving a golf cart around the Warner Brothers lot today willy-nilly, and he managed to cut through the area where we were shooting Without A Trace. Twice. It was all very exciting. He seemed like a cool, laid-back dude (well, what I saw of him driving by, anyway)

In addition, today provided me with a glimpse of Angela Bassett (on the lot for ER), David Arquette (sitting in his trailer waiting to film Pushing Daisies), and my personal favorite: Lee Pace.

When I discovered we were shooting RIGHT next to Pushing Daisies, I made it my goal to hunt down Lee Pace. I took a very long, out-of-the-way route to the bathroom (making dumb excuses for my path to anyone who noticed). Lo and behold, I was parked in my car waiting to "drive through the streets of New York" when I saw Lee walking to his car in a nearby parking lot, laughing heartily with the person he walked with, and hunched over just a smidge. It was quite adorable. If you need a reminder of my love for all things Lee Pace, look back at my review of Miss Pettigrew...

My extra jobs have provided good discussion topics and it is really enjoyable to see how the "business" works. How long everything takes mainly.

Now, I woke up at 3:30 this morning to get to set at 5 am, so I am headed to bed now. More scoop to come as I get any. ;)

The Spring Has Sprung

So, I FINALLY caught a production of Spring Awakening last night. It was on its fourth night touring through Los Angeles. I have regretted not catching it (and, now, probably never having the chance to) on Broadway, seeing all the rave reviews I have read (mostly from Vance, every time he went to see it...). So it was a joy to see it for the first time.

I have had the original cast recording for about a year now, so I knew all the music. I also already knew the story. So I wondered how much I couldn't just piece together without ever taking a step into the theater. Luckily for me, I needed to see it in person to experience it (it was too bad I experienced it in such a large theater, and sitting in the very back (I was dizzy when I first walked to my seat)). I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more if I had not been straining to see, but I managed alright.



It is unfair to compare the cast I saw last night to the one on the recording, because I never really saw them perform it. So I will try to be unbiased in that manner. Let's start with Kyle Riabko (Melchior), who seemed to carry the show, both with his voice and his acting skills. I think his singing/acting/choreo actually changed my mind on a couple of songs I wasn't crazy about before. Christy Altomare, playing Wendla, was the hardest not to compare to her OBC counterpart, Lea Michelle. She sang much more even and pronounced on her songs, so it sounded very different. But she had a beautiful voice and played the naive innocence of Wendla very well. Blake Bashoff (who I recognized as Carl (RIP) from LOST) was quirky and dramatic as Moritz, bringing lots of giggles from the audience. I especially enjoyed him in And Then There Were None and Don't Do Sadness.



As for the rest of the cast, the standouts for me were Sarah Hunt (Martha), Steffi D (Ilse), and Andy Mientus and Ben Moss (Hanschen and Ernst, respectively). The latter two had the crowd in stitches during The Word of Your Body reprise.

I was also thoroughly amused watching the conductor/keyboardist. He was absolutely jamming. He probably does it in part because he has to play the piano and conduct the rest of the band at the same time, so it is a good way to keep the beat for everyone. But it was hysterical and brought a good energy to all the music. I found I looked at him often.

As for songs, I mentioned above that, after seeing the show in person, there are different songs that stand out than the ones I would have picked off the recording. The choreography, blocking, acting, and lighting that took place during some songs made them so much more entertaining to see in person. Examples of this are The Bitch of Living (full of energy), The Mirror-Blue Night (Riabko on that last note just killed me), and Totally F***ed (made me want to stand up and jump around).



I won't say too much of the story in case someone wants to see it and I spoil it. But I left feeling like I had been wrung out like a rag. It is a stick-with-you kind of show. And it is not for everyone. Maybe one or two people in my family would enjoy it at all. I know for the LA production that there are still tickets available. The theater is large and wasn't sold out. Also, I think you can get same day Hot Tix through Center Theatre Group.

[Perhaps my sight should have a disclaimer that there aren't many shows I don't enjoy, and just the energy and experience of live theater always counts for something! Having said that, I think Spring Awakening is worthy of a great review.]

Songs of My Childhood

I have been working 2-3 days a week and my post-load has really dropped! Fortunately, I don't have that many readers, so not many people rely on me for entertainment...

I have managed to hear several of my favorite songs from early childhood on the radio lately. It inspired me to write this post of my early faves, and to date myself very obviously. In addition, I noticed how much I loved songs with harmonies even from a very young age.

Angel by Aerosmith (1988)

I actually remember singing this at the lunch table with Ashley Brakebill. This was the very first song that I knew all the words to (that weren't on my Psalty tapes). I loved Steven Tyler's "A-ee-a-ee-a-ee-an-gel."

More Than Words - Extreme (1990)
This one is a bit later when I was already 11. About this time I was jammin' in my sister's car to Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer, but this one is one that really stuck with me. I also remember seeing the video (the only video on this list I have ever seen).

Glory of Love - Peter Cetera (1987)

Who doesn't love a man that would fight for your honor. Apparently, I loved that kind of man even when I was 8. It probably helped that this song was in The Karate Kid, Part II... The Peter Cetara parts of that video are AMAZING! :)

Can't Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon (1984)

I don't remember when this song caught my ear, as I am sure it was not when I was five years old. But it was one I loved for years (still good!). This was a WEIRD video for 1984...

What songs from your childhood really stuck with you to adulthood?

Book: Stephenie Meyer's The Host

I just finished Stephenie Meyer's latest non-Twilight series novel called The Host. This also happens to be her first book written for adults. I waited a couple of months for this one from the library, as Meyer's popularity has grown so much lately that there were about 100 people in queue for it.

The facts are these (said in Pushing Daisies voice over style): The book takes place in the present where the earth has been invaded by a group of aliens (called Souls) that attach themselves as parasites to human hosts, thereby drowning out each person's true soul and taking over his or her life, including memories. There also exists a gang of still-human rebels, hiding in caves in Arizona. Melanie Stryder is a human that has been invaded by a soul, but Melanie herself finds that she can fight back from within. As a result, Melanie and her parasite (Wanda) team up to locate the rebels, and take refuge there. Yeah, it sounds really strange and I am not doing the best job of explaining it. I think I just confused myself...

It was a little hard to get into. But Meyer certainly thinks through all the details of the worlds she creates for her books. I find that often I can predict where things are going, and I managed that a couple of hundred pages before the end of the book, but I was entertained nonetheless. However, don't automatically assume you will like The Host just because you are a Twilight fan. She managed something pretty special with the Bella/Edward relationship that she won't be replicating any time soon.

In addition, I was as annoyed with Wanda as I was with Bella for being so dumb in drawing realistic conclusions. I realize certain things are written to make things not quite so obvious, but if the reader can guess things to come and you characters are supposed to be intelligent, then you would assume they could come to reasonable conclusions, too. But that is forgivable.

I enjoyed Meyer's creation of a fictional earth and alien invasion. But if you have a laundry list of books you are trying to read, make it Twilight before you make it The Host.

Chuck versus the Cougars

The name might imply that Chuck is having a relationship with some much older women (didn't we see that a couple of weeks ago with Julie Cooper-Nichol?), but in reality the Cougars are the mascot from Sarah's high school in San Diego. In this episode, the audience, but more importantly Chuck, gets a glimpse into the elusive past of Sarah Walker. Turns out Sarah was not the cool girl in high school that she is now. In fact, her name was Jenny Burton and she had braces, bad skin, and bad hair (actually, a pretty bad wig, if you ask me). And still unbeknownst to Chuck, her father was arrested in front of her eyes and taken to prison.

The most important aspect of this episode is the reminder that Chuck really knows nothing about Sarah's past and how she came to be who she is. But that matters not to Chuckles (as Anna calls him) since he feels he knows her very well now, and that is enough.



In other news, in case you possibly missed it, Nicole Richie guested in this episode as the popular high school cheerleader AKA Jenny Burton's nemesis, as well as an associate of the Russian mob. Cue wet girl fight. And Jenny kicks her butt.

With all the attention paid to Nicole Richie (who did a good job, I might add), it was regrettably not mentioned ANYWHERE that Ben Savage (Cory Matthews from Boy Meets World) also guest stars in this episode. It was great to see him as I had wondered what he was up to lately. And he was the lovable nerd, who found a hero in Chuck.



Casey allows Chuck to take a bunch of the credit as he is posing as Special Agent Charles Carmichael to Savage's nerdy genius. It wasn't required of Casey to make him look like the hero, and it was rather endearing.

In the side-plot, the Buy More is left in Lester's charge, and, with much ado, he resigns his post. It was the least interesting part of the episode.

My favorite part of this episode was the mention of the DJ at the high school reunion, where we look up to find that John Casey is up in the DJ booth, throwing his arms side to side, jamming with the crowd. Classic!

Movie: Iron Man

I am generally a fan of the comic book/superhero movies. I have managed to skip a few (Fantastic Four and the first Hulk come to mind), but of course this summer has produced a number of box office successes in the form of superheroes straight from the comics. With Iron Man, I have now seen two of the three on my list (I've seen The Dark Knight but not The Incredible Hulk (yet)).

I had high expectations from Iron Man as it was a critical success (critics gave it a 93% on the rottontomatoes.com site, made a large amount of money worldwide (so far about $574 million), and had been recommended by a handful of people I associate with (see Emily's review here). I think I would have enjoyed it more had I seen it in the theater instead of watching it at home on my pitiful excuse for a television. But I still enjoyed it greatly.

First off, I realize it is "beating a dead horse" or "preaching to the choir" or one of those fun cliches, but let me reiterate what I have said a couple of other times in my blog posts: I really love Robert Downey, Jr. (See this, this or this to see my previous RDJ accolades). He is the opposite of who I would have expected to be cast as Tony Stark. And it turned out to be a casting move (and points out how I should never be allowed to cast anything). I also enjoyed Gwyneth Paltrow playing a role a little different than her usual (she has been off my radar lately, though) and Terrence Howard.

What is it with Jeff Bridges that he just seems to annoy me more than anything else. I knew immediately his character was the "bad guy" and wasn't very interested in him. He is just a turn-off to me when I find out he is in a film I was looking forward to. I didn't think he took away from anything in Iron Man, but I would have liked to see someone else with the role and what they could do with it.

The script, execution of the story and CGI were all outstanding. Jon Favreau did an excellent job adapting this for a feature length action movie and directing it. The effects weren't cheesy and were rather realistic-looking.

Unless you just hate action and/or superhero movies, I recommend this to anyone now that it is available for rental.

Next on the list: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

A Baby Shower at The Office

I have read several complaints about last night's episode of The Office. That it is the worst of the season, or perhaps the series. I have to disagree. This show often deals with the hard things in life, and while they are often successful at making it funny, sometimes it just has to be kind of sad. This wasn't a painful episode for me (such as Phyllis' wedding or the dinner party, which made me cringe). Episodes like Baby Shower remind me that, while Michael is a complete idiot and total social disaster, he means well and you want something good for him. More specifically, you want Holly for him. This week he finally fought his way out from under Jan's thumb and did something he wanted for himself by asking Holly out. And it was a genuinely sweet scene with that hug. Especially after he had been so awful to her the entire episode (needlessly, it seems, as Jan had him figured out anyway). I just wish Amy Ryan was a series regular and not a special guest star. Let's cross our fingers on that one...

The Jim/Pam scenes just reiterated that they don't have the fairy tale perfect relationship. They have to work at it and have off days like the rest of us. I don't see this going in a bad direction.

The Dwight stuff was a bit OTT, but not the most annoying for Dwight. Plus, we got to learn that Dwight performed his own circumcision growing up...

Weekend DVD Review

OK, I realize it is really late to be posting something about my weekend. But I have been busy and I am just getting this posted on a Wednesday.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - I had heard of this movie and was curious. However, it is in French and has subtitles, and I was having a hard time selling my husband on it. I added it to my movie queue anyway, and just watched it by myself. I am very glad I did. I was impressed with both the way this film was shot and edited, as well as the tragic but inspiring story that it portrays. In case you aren't familiar, this is the true story of a successful magazine editor who is completely paralyzed in a car accident. The only part of his body that works (besides his brain) is one eye. Through this eye he not only learns to communicate with his family and caretakers, but decides to write a book, which then gets published. This was a touching story and also greatly intriguing. Check it out.

Charlie Wilson's War - I didn't expect to enjoy this movie. Hollywood always makes bold and heavy political statements with its movies, especially ones that are about politicians. With the heavy stuff we have dealt with lately in this country (I write this while watching the 3rd presidential debate), I just wasn't in the mood. But I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't feel that there was an agenda with this one. Just a story that should be told. A man who wasn't always the most moral finds a cause and invests years of his life (along with several other politicians and citizens and a billion dollars) for what he feels is right. I really enjoyed it. Did I mention I will see pretty much anything that Phillip Seymour Hoffman is in?

The Darjeeling Limited - Wes Anderson does not automatically mean an enjoyable movie for me. I like Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. I didn't prefer The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The Darjeeling Limited falls on the side of The Royal Tenenbaums. Anderson writes some very strange relationships, especially among families. Darjeeling tells the story of 3 brothers who reunite in India after a year of not speaking. They meet some odd characters and experience some strange events, both funny and very sad. Anderson favorites Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman join Adrien Brody. The three were good together and just goofy enough to pull off this odd plot. I wouldn't buy this DVD or anything, but I might watch it again if it were on TV. And I enjoyed it especially since I have a trip to India coming up myself!

Monday Night TV Review

My posting has been super slow lately as I have been pretty busy lately. And haven't had too much interesting to discuss. But here it is Monday again, and that leads me to wanna chat about Chuck, among other things.

Chuck - Have I mentioned I am glad to have Chuck back? I think I have. A few times. The appearance of Bryce Larkin sure throws a wrench in Chuck's plans for love. It is clear to everyone that Sarah is as into Chuck as he is into her. But the writers continue to create very valid reasons they shouldn't be together anyway. Before, it was because of their professional relationship. Then, in this episode, it was because her feelings for him would affect her ability to protect him (as seen when she didn't shoot the bad guy!). But tonight, they add a new reason. Even when Chuck is no longer the intersect, he can never fully know Sarah (her name, her background, her location...) because she is a freakin' spy! My solution: Chuck has to really become a spy. And after Bryce left him those sunglasses with an Intersect update in them, he may not have a choice. (Does anyone else think it strange that someone is capable of putting all this information together FOR Chuck but can't put it somewhere else, so Chuck wouldn't have to be the Intersect anymore?)

The side stories were fine. I don't mind Morgan as much as the next guy. It wasn't nearly as entertaining as the rest of the episode. I loved the concern Awesome showed by giving Bryce a painful cleaning and bandaging. And I also love that Sarah is now a bridesmaid in the wedding! Fun times...

Heroes - I watched this episode SOLELY for David Anders. Sigh... No real comment to make on the episode. It wasn't quite as cheesy as the last two, so I will give them that... (I think it is because we didn't go into the future). I thought it was funny how quickly Ando and Hiro lost Adam. Oops!

How I Met Your Mother - Barney's dumb attempts to get women never fail to amuse me. I loved his dressing as a woman last week to get a lesbian. This week he dresses as an 80 year old man to prove that he will still be as AWESOME in 50 years as he is today (I think he will be, too, but maybe not in the same way). In the meantime, the episode focused on the interventions the gangs have planned over the years: Marshall's tall Dr. Seuss hat, Lily's English accent (I found this especially amusing as it seemed to be a throw back to her husband's portrayal of a Brit in Buffy/Angel), Robin's spray tans, Barney's magic tricks, Ted's pronunciation, Barney's old man suit, and then, of course, the now necessary intervention for the gang's interventions. After Ted realized the gang was going to have an intervention about his relationship with Stella, he decides not to move out of his apartment (followed by Marshall and Lily deciding to stay, and Robin deciding not to go to Japan). Change is scary ya'll! But of course it is Barney and his "arthritis five" (hysterical) that makes everyone realize they don't need to be the same person in 50 years that they are now. It was a fun episode. Was anyone else looking for big clues to what was going on in one year from now? I love when they do that. We also find out in this episode that Barney has been diagnosed as a narcissist with severe detachment disorder. Let's laugh at his psychological problems!

Oh TV, How I Have Missed You

I haven't had a chance to mention it, but I am so happy that fall TV is officially back. Here are the returning series I have been so glad to have back:

Chuck - I am so glad to have have Zach Levi and the gang back on my television on a weekly basis. I adore Chuck, Sarah, and Casey. I have missed their spy-hijinks. It is a relief to see the writers "went there" with the relationship of Chuck and Sarah. It is more of a Sydney/Vaughan thing (we want to be together but can't) instead of the all-too-common "we just don't want to admit it" thing.

The Office - I forget how much I miss The Office when it isn't on. I was looking forward to its return, but wasn't ecstatic. But now that we are one episode in, I am back to full fan level. I absolutely adore Holly and wish she could stay forever. I knew Ryan would be coming back to the office. I figured Michael would jump at the chance of having him back as a temp. And I didn't see that proposal coming at all.

Pushing Daisies - Ned, Chuck & and the gang apparently didn't get very good ratings this last week. I feel I contributed to the drop in viewership, as I missed it Wednesday and had to watch it online on Thursday. However, I am back full swing. This show is not only really pretty to watch, it is fun and well-thought out. Watch this show!

Bones - I quit watching Bones last year about 6 or 7 episodes before the season ended. But one night, a couple of weeks ago, when Sean was out at the Karaoke bar with his friends, I decided to watch it and I was completely enamored. I so enjoy the Bones/Brennan interactions, and I also really like (most) of the employees of the Jeffersonian. I am not a big Cam fan, but I adore Sweets. Love his every scene.

Shows I am not as excited about:

Heroes - I haven't even tried to watch it. I missed the first episode, and based on my husband's brief synopsis, I opted out. The opinions I have heard and read elsewhere only confirm I made the right decision. Perhaps I can find a site online that compiles only the scenes with David Anders.

Dancing with the Stars - I always get sucked into this show, mainly because I am curious and then can not let go. This year, I haven't had that problem. I don't feel like I am missing out. There were only two reasons I would have watched anyway: Maks (and he is now out...) and Lacey Schwimmer (but only to support my SYTYCD peeps!).

Movie Catch Up

My posts on books has slowed down as my movie-watching has increased. I have watched a number of movies lately as I have realized I can find almost anything pretty handily at the local library branch. Here is what I have managed to watch:

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - I really like Amy Adams, especially after Enchanted. I also think Frances McDormand is great, and was really convincing in this role. The movie was set in the 30s and I loved the "period"-ness about it. But, really, I must admit that it was Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies) that made this movie for me. Lee Pace + unshaven face + British accent + passionate musician = Delicious. And on top of all that, he sings! And I love him. Okay, have I gone on too much? This was an unusual, but rather likable film. Check it out (for more reasons than just Lee Pace. No, seriously...).


Savages - I love Phillip Seymour Hoffman. He never fails me as an actor. He always brings it all to the table. Savages is no exception. Pair him up with the always-great Laura Linney, and you have a serious amount of acting chops on screen. The question, then, would be whether the story is of equal quality. While the subject matter was dark (dealing with a dying and dementia-ridden father), the characters were quirky enough to be humorous, while bringing a good deal of emotion to the screen. They played off of each other so well and my favorite scenes were between the brother and sister. I say definitely give this one a watch.


The Bank Job - Based on a true story, I was hoping this heist flick would be really entertaining. Instead, I found it a bit slow. True stories often don't entertain to the level of a fiction work (think Oceans 11 or The Italian Job). Most of the cast was amusing, but the movie just didn't hold my attention. At one point, even though I had been watching the screen the entire time, I had to make my husband tell me what was going on because I just hadn't been paying much attention. There are better movies out there. Of course, if you just want to see Jason Statham in his 70s get-ups, give it a watch...

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - My 18 year old sister insisted I watch this. I really enjoyed it and sat on my couch alone and cried. There were really contrived parts of the story and some of it ended up too perfectly, but there were parts that also ended up a little gritty like real life does sometimes. I was annoyed at Blake Lively's character for being skanky, but you come to understand why and feel a bit sorry for her. I like all four of these girls and it was fun to watch. I'll have to add Sisterhood 2 to my online queue.

Sweeney Todd - I had already seen Sweeney Todd in the theater, but thought it would be fun to watch again. It was dark and dirty and strangely amusing. Johnny Depp seems to really inhabit all of his characters to the fullest. If you plan to watch, be prepared for some gross scenes.


December Boys - In his first non-Harry Potter theater release, Daniel Radcliffe plays one of four orphan boys that go on a trip to the coast. While there, they encounter several different people that affect their lives. Most importantly, they overhear a couple say they have decided to adopt one of the boys. After this, the relationship among the boys is strained as they try to win over the potential mom and dad. This was a rather small film, not widely released in the US. The friendship among the boys is the central story and the most meaningful. I thought it was sweet, but it seemed like I had seen it all before.

In Bruges - Strangely enough, this was a comedy, but I didn't know that. It was a dark comedy as it deals with death in a dark way. A hit man (Colin Farrell) accidentally kills the wrong person and he is sent away, accompanied by another hit man (Brendan Gleeson), who serves as his babysitter. They go to Bruges, Belgium to hide out until the fallout has cleared. As they come into contact with other characters in town, their time in Bruges takes some interesting turns. While this movie isn't amazing, there was some really funny stuff in it.


Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale - We finally got around to watching the finale, even though we own the first two seasons. Do I need to say more than George Michael? Didn't think so... But I will anyway. The finale was perfect parts ridiculous, funny, sweet, and sad. Sean and I are huge Extras fans. If you haven't tried it out, give it a chance. I am not promising it will be your cup of tea, because it is certainly a very specific kind of comedy (Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchent tend to be very shtick-y). But it is fun to watch the celebrity guest stars act completely ridiculously.


What Happens in Vegas - This Ashton Kutcher/Cameron Diaz rom-com was actually a bit better than I expected. Two strangers get married in Vegas while drunk, agree to get a divorce in the morning, and then win $3,000,000 on a slot machine. The money creates issues, and the judge decides not to grant them a divorce until they have "worked" on their marriage for six months (including living together). Kutcher and Diaz had pretty good chemistry and also have similar comedic styling. I thought they made sense in a movie together. Just don't expect this movie to reinvent the wheel.

Sleepwalking - Jolene (Charlize Theron) is a selfish mom who abandons her daughter Tara (AnnaSophie Robb), leaving her irresponsible brother James (Nick Stahl) to take care of her. Nick Stahl really stood out for me, but there is something about him that seems really old school to me, and I am intrigued by his acting style (I still find it odd he was in Terminator 3; mainly he impressed me in Carnivale and In the Bedroom). AnnaSophia Robb played a child who was forced to grow up too quickly. I was constantly reminding myself of how young she actually is. While the plot was really slow, and you could see a bit where they were headed, it was a sad and ultimately sweet story.

Just FYI, I was so overwhelmed writing this post, that by the end, I was just writing a basic synopsis and maybe a single sentence of opinion. It took me so long to write that I kept seeing movies and would then need to add them to my post. Now I am just rambling. But I guess that is a disclaimer about how poor my actual reviews (if you would call them that) actually are.

So You Think You Can Dance Tour - Los Angeles

Last night was the Los Angeles stop on the SYTYCD tour, and I was so happy to see our Season 4 Top 10 (plus a few). On hand to dance were

Joshua
Katee
Twitch
Kherington
Gev
Courtney
Mark
Chelsie H.
Will
Jessica
Comfort
Thayne
Chelsea T.

I think half of the couples dances were Josh & Katee. I can't comprehend how they had the stamina to keep it up. They did tons of dances together, each had a solo, they had dances in other pairings, and several group dances. Shew!

The tour really shows who is good with the audience, who is a performer versus a dancer. Most of the boys came off better than the girls in the personality department (Twitch, Thayne, Gev, and Will were all good when they had to MC between dances (usually with dorky comedy thrown in)).

Numbers that stood out live:
Katee & Joshua's Bollywood Routine, followed by the group Bollywood routine
Chelsie & Mark's contemporary routine to The Garden (by Sonja)
Katee & Twitch's door routine to Duffy
Katee & Joshua's contemporary routine to Hometown Glory by Adele
Joshua & Twitch's Russian Trepak (so much energy!)
Katee & Joshua's No Air routine
Chelsie & Mark with the briefcase

Solos that stood out:
Gev (so good, and so adorable)
Twitch (feeling the beat myself made all the difference for me with his solo)
Katee (love emotion that shows through)
Will (such a pretty body, but more as a work of art)

One of my all-time favorite contestants PASHA (along with Anya) made a guest appearance to introduce the dance they choreographed for Courtney & Gev. I was so happy to see them. Also in the house were Tyce, Tabitha & Napoleon, and Nigel, along with several former dancers, who I assume are all LA-based now (but I didn't see any of them...).

I realized that the last three seasons have given me some great music, that I have subsequently downloaded. I can't remember any from season 1, but season 2 was Rama Lama by Roisin Murphy, season 3 was The Moment I Said It by Imogen Heap (already had this one but my love grew after seeing the dance), and season 4 is Hometown Glory by Adele. Love a good soulful piano ballad!

Sorry for all my scatterbrained thoughts. It was a long show and quite jam-packed. I can't remember everything! It was a lot of fun, though. I did forget my camera but I will try to steal some from Vance once he posts them.

9 to 5 the Musical

Last night, Vance and I made a trip to the Ahmanson Theatre to see 9 to 5 the Musical (music & lyrics by Dolly Parton and book by Patricia Resnick) in its pre-Broadway run. Since he is busy going to the set of The Office today (lucky!), I am going to beat him to the punch with my review! Here it is:



Overview: If you haven't seen the 1980 film that inspired this stage show, the story is this: three women who are mistreated by their mean-spirited, misogynistic, sexual-harassing boss band together to take action (action that includes kidnapping and holding him prisoner).




The Cast: Megan Hilty was hysterical as the Texas-bred "Backwoods Barbie" Doralee (nailing the part originally played by Dolly Parton). Her southern sass alone brought on many bursts of applause. I give her extra credit for fitting into those outfits and looking so good in them! Stephanie J. Block played shy-then-independent Judy. Her own surprise as she grows and has new experiences (smoking pot!?!) made her so endearing. And then her powerhouse voice was put to excellent use in "Get Out and Stay Out" (I bet she was an amazing Elphaba). Allison Janney was very likable as widowed mom and potential manager Violet. She is the elder of the three and seems to be the leader, and at times, mother to the other girls, as well. She doesn't have a booming Broadway voice like the other two girls, but it worked with what she had. The best part of the show are these women, and the performances together, and the chemistry they share. Marc Kudisch was slimy and dirty and sleazy as Hart, and I wasn't completely disgusted with him... I know, I am a poor excuse for a woman! But I could kind of see why office manager Roz was so in love with him.



The core cast was outstanding and the ensemble was great. Other cast members who stood out for me were Kathy Fitzgerald as Roz (the rule-following office manager pining away for Hart) and Andy Karl (the cougar-hunting accountant). Ensemble pieces were so much fun to watch, mainly due to excellent choreography from Andy Blankenbuehler (In the Heights) and really fun office sets, circa 1979.

One can not forget to mention the person that completely made this show what it is: Dolly Parton. I love Dolly and her music is just so catchy. She gives this show a feel it wouldn't have if someone else had written the music. The song 9 to 5 is so catchy, and from the opening of the show when that piano beat starts playing, the audience is just sucked right in! The trio of songs inspired by the marijuana-muddled dreams of Judy are a real crack-up.



There wasn't a whole lot I didn't enjoy about this show. Well, nothing really. I think the best description I can give it is this: It was a hoot! If you can't check it out at the Ahmanson in Los Angeles before October 19, go see it when it opens on Broadway next Spring!

Posts, or lack of...

To my loyal readers (you both know who you are...) I'm terribly sorry for my lack of posts lately. I have been out of town, but have lots to chat about now. So keep your eyes open for some new posts about the following:

1) 9 to 5 the Musical - I am seeing this tonight with fellow blogger Vance!

2) So You Think You Can Dance Tour

3) TV update - I haven't posted a thing about the return of several shows, including The Office, Grey's Anatomy, and Chuck. By the time I write it, I can probably include Pushing Daisies and Friday Night Lights in my post!

4) Massive movie update - I have watched a TON of movies on DVD lately and they deserve at least a quick blurb.

Movie: Burn After Reading

Last week, we caught a showing of Burn After Reading. I don't think I am wrong in saying that this movie was quite hyped, and therefore my expectations were high. I guess I was a bit disappointed. Consistent with other Coen brothers movies, the plot was odd, seemingly random, quirky, (what is another word for what I am thinking?) etc. There are lots of laugh out load moments, especially including Brad Pitt. I found it funny to imagine his personality to be like this in real life, for some reason. I just found all the characters to be pretty much completely unlikable so I didn't have anyone to root for. If you don't go to the movies much, I would save this one for rental. If you do go often, you have probably already seen it...

Book: The Memory Keeper's Daughter

I finished up Kim Edwards' The Memory Keeper's Daughter this morning. It was a tough read. It wasn't slow or boring or anything like that. Just really hard subject matter, and it didn't really get easier as I progressed through the book. This book had been recommended to me from a couple of different people, so I wanted to give it a try. Emily told me she had thought of reading it, but the subject matter was a bit heavy for someone with a 6 month old. Let me go ahead and let you know. This book is DE. PRESS. ING. Especially if you have a child, have lost a child, have a child with Down syndrome. Here is why:

David Henry is a doctor who is forced to deliver his wife Norah's child in a snowstorm, with only his nurse Caroline to help out. Norah delivers a healthy baby boy, but then there is a surprise second baby, which Norah delivers while drugged up and passed out. This second child is a girl with Down syndrome. Dr. Henry gives the child to Caroline to take to a "home" for children like this, believing he is preventing Norah from dealing with great pain. He tells Norah that the second child had died. Caroline decides against leaving her at this "home" and takes her as her own instead. And that is only the very beginning. Dr. Henry's actions in regards to his daughter lead the characters down a painful and difficult path.

Norah deals with the loss of her child. Kim Edwards does an excellent job of portraying the massive pain and heartache that Norah feels due to this loss. As a result, it is taken out on her family, her marriage, and her own heart.

David deals with having lied to his wife about something so huge. There was never a chance to go back because he so fully committed to his lie. And as a result, his guilt led to a complete breakdown of all of his relationships.

Caroline deals with raising a child with disabilities in a time period where such child is considered useless. The things that people say to Caroline about her child (Phoebe) are so atrocious that I wonder how people would ever consider a child with disabilities to be lesser than someone else. It was heartbreaking, but Caroline fights back to get things for Phoebe that other children get automatically, such as education.

Paul, Norah & David's healthy-born son, deals with the knowledge that he is incomplete without his twin sister. He also has to find himself while watching his family fall apart.

The characters were really well-developed and Edwards certainly knew how to write the subject matter. But it was just a really hard and sad read. If you are up for that, this is a great book. But consider yourself forewarned!

Theater: Assassins

I have never seen Sondheim on stage before. I have watched the film version of Sweeney Todd and I have the cast recording of Company. I hopped over to the El Centro Theatre in Hollywood today to see the West Coast Ensemble's production of Assassins, which has been playing there since July, and will end later this month. The theater is quite small (about 100 seats), and my neighbors were glad to chat me up about the show beforehand.

I can easily say whether I enjoyed the show (immensely), how the acting was (great), what could have been improved (only a few things), but I have been trying to wrap my head around the content. I tried to identify the feeling I got from seeing it. Depressed? Not quite right. Amused? It was funny, but that isn't it either. Disturbed? Very much.

If you aren't familiar with Assassins, it is a story revolving around all the persons that assassinated or attempted to assassinate American presidents throughout the years. They all dress and act in accordance to their time periods, but interact with each other. So needless to say, watching these characters come to the conclusion they must kill a president is kind of messed up. The characters are portrayed as damaged by the world and their lives, and then along comes John Wilkes Booth (the original presidential assassin) to let each of them know that their problems might be solved if they would just kill a president (and, therefore, it wasn't their own idea, but doggone if it didn't sound like a fine idea). So needless to say, while the content of the show is tough, it is so well-written and portrayed, that you feel like laughing and being sad and angry all at once.

The cast standouts to me were Samuel Byck (played by John O'Brien), the Balladeer (cast as female Dana Reynolds), and John Wilkes Booth played by Christopher Davis Carlisle. Also, Shannon Stoeke stood out as the very angry Lee Harvey Oswald (and the Proprietor). The only things that I would improve if I could are 1) the size of the venue (it really limits the show as I imagine it could be in a larger place) and 2) the accompaniment (would love to hear it with a full orchestra).

If you haven't seen Assassins, check out this (or any) production and let me know what you think of the story!

Lovin' On My Fellow Bloggers

This week I was honored by Stella at Well Above Average with some blog love. Imagine my surprise (and excitement that people ever read my blog...)! So here is how this thing works. I nominate 7 of my favorite blogs, and those bloggers get to

-Display this pic on their blog!

-Link to the person that nominated their blog.

-Nominate 7 of their own fave blogs to do the same.

-Notify your nominees of the honor!

And here are my nominees:

Eclaire Fare - enjoying pop culture, one bite at a time. And Emily is one of my best friends.
Nehers in Nebraska - finding the meaning in the in between. And Julie is my sister. Also see her cute baby accessories here... (shameless family plug)
Tapeworthy - feel free to judge him on what he likes to watch, because he is judging you. And Vance shows me that one can be friends with people you meet on the internet without seeming creepy.
All and Sundry - she's artsy, she's unique, and she is a good soccer player.
Tumbleweed - really random thoughts. And Matt is my brother-in-law.
Movie Junkie - the name says it all. We trade thoughts on movies (among other things). And he has a handy rating system. And from what I can tell, he watches all types of movies (and some TV).
Give Me My Remote - Even though Kath over at GMMR is a big time TV blogger now, hers was the first blog I read on a regular basis and deserves to be nominated here!

It should be noted that there is a bit of blog incest that goes on, and as a result, I would have chosen a couple of Stella's nominees. I will give them honorable mention here: Holliewood and Gratuitous Violins. In addition, I would have chosen Well Above Average!

Trailer: The Soloist

I rarely commit to seeing every movie a certain director makes. But so far, Joe Wright hasn't failed me. Pride & Prejudice and Atonement both had their faults, but I thoroughly enjoyed both, and give most of the credit to Joe Wright. Of course, a good deal of the credit goes to story (thanks Jane Austen and Ian McEwan) and actors (Kiera Knightley, Mathew McFadyen, James McAvoy).

If those are the requirements of good movie, The Soloist shouldn't have any problems. One, Joe Wright is directing. Two, you couldn't ask for a better, more committed (more popular) actor right now than Robert Downey, Jr. In addition, this looks to be the movie where Jamie Foxx proves Ray wasn't the only performance of a lifetime. Based on the trailer, the story looks touching. I look forward to its release.

See the trailer here:

TV: True Blood

I just finished up the first episode of HBO's new series True Blood. If you read my blog much, you might already know about my interest in vampire lore and how different creative minds choose to portray the different aspects of legend. Anyone who has watched Six Feet Under knows that Alan Ball seems to have some sort of morbid fascination with death, but how about with the undead. His new series is quite interesting, in my opinion.

True Blood takes place in a small southern town, at a time when vampires are known and living among humans (but still not quite accepted by all). But Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and the other locals have never seen one in person before, until Bill (Stephen Moyer) arrives at the local diner. Did I mention Sookie has the gift of hearing people's thoughts (a la Edward Cullen) but can't read Bill (a la Bella Swan...).

There is a lot to like about the show, or what I have seen so far. Paquin is a good actress, and pretty likable as the sweet and somewhat naive Sookie. She has great chemistry with Bill. Ball sticks with the general vampire legend, including only coming out at night, fangs, etc.

There were some things that were not so great. What in the world were some of those accents? While I liked the idea of Tara (played by Rutina Wesley), her accent was very forced. Having lived in several different places in the South (while getting by with very little accent), I just was appalled at some of the poorly done southern accents.

As is usual, the vampire stories are over-sexed. I wonder what the vampire obsession with sex is. Because they are immortal, are they just bored with normal stuff? Is it the power? I don't know. But having watched Six Feet Under, I knew there would be some pretty raunchy sex scenes in this, and they delivered on that expectation very early on. I can't help but feel like I am seeing WAY too much of that. Yes, there are people who don't need to see all that.

I do plan to watch another episode and see where the story goes. I was rather drawn in by the plot and the characters. Let's hope it doesn't disappoint.

Book: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

For the first time in as long as I can remember, I started and completed a book in one day. In one sitting actually. It seems I am into the Young Adult genre, as that is where I picked up Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan. I had seen the trailer for the film adaptation and, once I realized it was based on a book, I wanted to give it a (quick) read.

The general story is that two strangers (Nick & Norah) in a NYC punk rock club pretend to be dating so they can each avoid unknowingly the same girl (said girl previously dumped Nick and broke his heart, and is a frenemy of Norah from school). In classic Before Sunrise spirit, a journey together around the city ensues, with many bumps in the road.

Having just come off of reading the entire Twilight series, my guess is that, vampires aside, this is just so much more realistic. The feelings teenagers feel, the hormones, the constant use of F-words. I really enjoyed this read and I got a nice feeling from reading it.

The book surprised me slightly as I had already seen the trailer for the movie before picking up the book. Kat Dennings seems a good casting choice for Norah (I liked her in Charlie Bartlett), but Michael Cera didn't really seem rough enough around the edges to play Nick. He is a bassist in a self-described "queercore" band. Also, I adore Michael Cera, but it is so hard imagining him in a role that requires him to be sexy at all. Even the sex scene in Superbad was him acting awkward and rather George Michael Bluth, if you ask me. However, I am hoping this movie shows us he is not too one-note.

Also, the movie has elaborated quite a bit on the story, and has taken the characters a little more mainstream (and not quite so punk). I don't think I mind and look forward to seeing how the movie actually compares (as opposed to judging based solely on the trailer, which is below).

TV: 90210

Just a few quick comments on the pilot of the new 90210. Yes, I watched it. I had to see what all the hype was about. And really, I just wanted to see some of the old faves from yesteryear (Brenda & Kelley), along with Rob Estes, whom I secretly love.

The story was cheesy as expected, and full of major drama. I think every possible plot line was addressed in the first hour (drugs, sex, back-stabbing, cheating, fighting, illegitemate children). The acting was so-so...

What school would be allowed to put on Spring Awakening? I don't think so. My high school did Grease and there was a HUGE outcry from the community. Granted, that was Texas, not Beverly Hills, but still... I have been singing Mama Who Bore Me since, though.

While I don't intend to continue watching, I have to say it wasn't quite as bad as I had expected. I think watching The Secret Life of the American Teenager recently really lowered the bar on this type of show. And now I can say with 100% certainty, it was a LOT better than that.

Movie: Hallam Foe

First off, this movie is being marketed as Mister Foe for U.S. audiences. I guess they were worried no one would know what a "hallam" is and wouldn't come to the movie. Either way, I have never completely understood marketing it as one title one place and another title elsewhere, while in the same language (this reminds me of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which could have just been explained in the book). But I digress...

Hallam Foe is a British drama about a teenager named Hallam Foe, played by Jamie Bell, who acts out his response to his mother's death by venturing into a life of voyeurism. We meet Hallam a couple of years after his mother's suicide by drowning, when his father is remarried to a woman he hates. All this contributes to his peeping tom habits, tendency to wear makeup as war paint, and dressing in his mother's clothes (which reminds me of The Mudge Boy, where Emile Hirsch also dresses as a woman and does some creepy spying of his own in dealing with his mother's death). Hallam leaves home and heads to the streets of London, where he discovers an older woman (Sophia Myles) that looks strikingly like his mother. He follows her and sets up camp in locations where he can spy on her daily activities. In the meantime, he becomes convinced that his step-mother is guilty of murdering his mother.

Jamie Bell does an excellent job of portraying the lost soul of Hallam, the need for a maternal figure, the paranoia of how his mother died, his loneliness. Bell is a very talented actor, whom I have adored since Billy Elliot. I am glad to see him taking on a leading role again, as I have only seen him in King Kong and Flags of our Fathers since then.

This was a different type of role for Sophia Myles as well, since I have only seen her in Moonlight and Tristan & Isolde. Her character Kate was certainly edgier than either of those characters. And a little bit more messy. It was a nice change.

The supporting cast was rounded out by Ciaran Hinds as Hallam's father and Claire Forlani as his step-mother.

This was not your average coming-of-age tale, and I definitely recommend it, if you enjoy stories that are a bit on the odd side (which I do).