LOST

Have you gotten LOST? You really should. Tonight gives you the opportunity to catch up on one of the most innovative and suspenseful shows on television. While it has its share of lulls and misses, the three seasons of this show are hands down some of the best television out there. It has everything you can imagine drama, intrigue, suspense, horror, romance and the most marvelous woven humor throughout the series that makes it so special.

Tomorrow night marks the start of season 4 which is only half completed. But for this fan, 8 episodes are better than none -- a moment of silence for the fact that there will be no 24 this year. Great TV is tough to come by these days, even before the writers went on strike. LOST is appointment television that is not to be missed.

Don't call me tomorrow night at 9PM. I will be very giddily LOST!

channel surfing and movies you just can't resist

As there are more and more channels to surf through with our remotes in hand it's a wonder anyone watches a show from start to finish anymore. For some it's the 24 hour news channels, for many food networks and home improvement shows, on the occasional lazy weekend you get roped into a marathon of a favorite show like Law and Order or a show you would never lay claim to watching - Flavor of Love comes to mind.

For me each and every time it is a movie that sucks me in on any given night. As an avid movie fan I own a decent amount of films. I have 2 DVD players and a VCR and considering my child is a toddler, it is not difficult for me to watch a movie without commercial interuption. However, regardless of the fact that I own it in DVD and VHS if Shawshank Redemption shows up on TNT on any given evening I am going to stop and watch it. At times I am compelled by it. For me movies provide an odd sense of comfort, a normalcy and connectivity to my memories. It's difficult to describe and truly has no ryhme or reason. It's a non caloric comfort food.

Think of the holidays - every year people revisit holiday films like It's A Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story. "It's not the holidays without watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas". Many people feel this way. I remember growing up when it is was just network television and VCRs weren't common place. Once a year The Wizard of Oz would come on and we would plan for it and gather around the TV as siblings to watch it. That of course and Battle of the Network Stars. And while convenience has expanded providing access to movies and classic TV shows in a way like never before, I still find something comforting in happening upon a movie I adore on TV. It's like a chance meeting and can in an instant redirect your mind and day.

I am a bad example because I watch movies over and over, yet even my mother who rarely if ever watches a movie twice has been susceptable to what I am talking about. On more than one occasion I have called to see how she is doing and she will tell me that she stumbled onto Pretty Woman and couldn't help but watch it again because she adores it so much. I think we all have movies that we can't resist on a regular basis.

For me there are the usual suspects (no pun intended) like West Side Story and Shawshank Redemption. For me, more often than not I will stay up late watching a sappy movie like Steel Magnolias and I can never resist Hitchcock, particularly Jimmy Stewart's Hitchcock collaborations. If Star Wars is on somewhere (the original three, not the recent ones) there is no getting me off of the couch. I can recite the likes of The Princess Bride and Soapdish but contine to watch with glee whenever the occassion arises.

Like a favorite meal, you relish in the familiarity and find comfort in the satisfaction it provides.

Super Tuesday here we come

OK, I swore I was going to avoid politics this early and at a minimum I was going to wait for Super Tuesday. I am breaking that promise to myself because my head is spinning from the last week of politics. I am among those who generally don't follow races closely until the summer and certainly not until we are out of primary season. With no network television and the history making that is going on in the democratic party, I am paying closer attention than usual. OK truth be told, I am starting to fall into a bit of politico news junkie status. Here is what is striking coming out of last night's South Carolina primary for me.

I can not stand the consistent break down of how people are voting along racial, age and gender divides, because the fact is once we get to Super Tuesday, Hispanics play a pivotal role in a great many of these states. I think it will be telling when and if we move away from the divisiveness that has been the last week of the campaign between the Democrats. Obama was taken off his game and last night while strong and brilliant in his acceptance speech, you could see he was still pissed off about how the Clintons came after him. I am among those who wants to buy a ticket on Obama's Hope train. However, he has yet to discuss with content what that train's design is going to be. I need him to get down in the dirt of specifics and explain how he is going to create change - tangibly. I am a grown woman and realize he can not predict nor promise what he will accomplish. I just need confidence that he has a sketch outline of a game plan. For me, I think he is savvy and smart enough to bring a flexibility to restoring our country's standing in the world and getting through some of the tightly woven fabric that is DC politics to make some headway on important issues. I just don't know how he intends to do it.

The Clintons - OK, I am in the camp that is tired of the 20 year Bush/Clinton dynasty. I was tired before this week's strategy unfolded. I think former President Clinton's actions over the last week are telling and horrific all at once. He is like a political version of Sunset Boulevard - past his prime but screaming for the spotlight. I can not be the only person who thinks it was beyond strange that the first Clinton to speak last night after the primary was Bill, not Hillary -- HE'S NOT RUNNING!!! So not only did Hillary not have the graciousness to concede defeat in person (she released a statement before getting on a plane for a Tuesday state), she left her husband behind to clean up the mess. And after a week of racial innuendo, he spent 74 minutes talking to a crowd for a race he is not running in. He again took a cheap shot at Obama by comparing him to Jesse Jackson and went on to talk about the race in terms of 'we' - So the first woman to run for office is not standing on her own merit - the pundits are right, Billary is the candidate.

And poor John Edwards, he is just going to make his role as spoiler work through to the convention without ever taking on a nomination. His poor showing in South Carolina doesn't even make him the most attractive running mate. And is it me or are others curious about the fact that we have not seen a whole lot of Elizabeth Edwards since New Hampshire?

And the Republicans - I can't help but like and respect John McCain even though I am diametrically opposed to his policies on the war and think he doesn't have a strong plan for the economic downturn we are in. But I love and underdog and the fact that he was left for dead in the summer and is on the cusp of being able to run the table on Super Tuesday if Florida goes his way makes for a great comeback story. And in a race littered with the likes of Romney and Giuliani I like the fact that I respect McCain, even when I don't agree with his politics. It's a rare quality that he evokes and is significant to me when looking at a presidential candidate.

I am convinced that I will need to move to Canada should Mit Romney win the nomination and go on to win the White House. Romney is the penultimate Frat Boy. He will say and do whatever is most convenient to get to his goals. The presidency is about him and only him. If he gets the nomination it will be because he bought and paid for it - $40 million in advertising in Florida alone - $40 million - are you kidding me? Watch him in a debate, the second someone questions him he immediately jumps on the defensive, but in a punk way. He is dismissive and angry about it. It's like hot and cold and shows he is disingenuous. That and he should just be put to the curb for his HORRIBLE move earlier this week of breaking into "Who let the Dogs Out" when taking a photo with a couple of African American kids.

And then there is Rudy -- ah Rudy the man who needed two towers to collapse and 3,000 people to die in order to not be a Mayor exiting in disgrace. One can only hope the good people of Florida recognize that this guy is nothing more than a schoolyard punk and a bully.

Think what you will and for goodness sake pay attention. I think the good that is coming out of this play by play like quality of this election is that people are voting - in droves. For me that is the encouraging story, people are engaging in the race. My hope is that the news outlets and campaigning and never ending debates don't wear us out before November comes.

Now my disclaimer -- I am a registered Independent and have not made up my mind as to who I will support come November.

Quick Random Thoughts...

LOST -- Have you gotten Lost? If not in a time when TV pickings are slim, this is one great bandwagon to jump on. Season 4 premiere's this Thursday on ABC at 9PM EST. More importantly, if you are a Lost neophyte or simply need a brush up, Wednesday you will get a repeat of the season 3 finale with "enhancements" - which means cliff notes to get you caught up to speed on seasons 1 and 2. If you are feeling ambitious - rent season 1 and have yourself a marathon starting tomorrow. It's the only season you really need.

SAG Awards - I am not normally a proponent of multiple awards shows, but without the Golden Globes this will be your only pre-Oscars glance at the relevant nominees.

Reality TV - I am not avoiding the topic, I am just gathering intelligence on some of the frightening crap that is hitting our airwaves in the next 3 weeks. I will have a significant amount to say soon.

All My Children - YES you read correctly, All My Children - can I have a moment of sigh and nostalgia for Friday's return of Darnell Williams to complete the return of "Jessie and Angie". It is my flashback moment of the week and I confess, I taped it looking forward to the flashbacks of when they were the "IT" couple on soap operas. I went back the week they killed Jessie off nearly 20 years ago and I will probably hang in there long enough to find out how they brought him back from the dead. I DO NOT APOLOGIZE for this behavior. We all have our quirks - and some of us own movies like Coyote Ugly and Gigli (You know who you are!)

I Want My HDTV

Disclaimer -- I have been awake since 3:30am. My darling daughter decided she was "all done sleeping" at this ungodly hour. As a result two things are true 1) I am not responsible for the randomness that today's post is likely to be 2) This day is going to be downright ugly come 3PM this afternoon and 3) This will be another day that potty training doesn't get reinforced at home. Ah life, one truly must roll with the punches, that's my story and I a sticking to it.

Plasma or LCD? 42 in. vs. 50in.? Wall mount or not? These are the profound questions in a new age of TV buying. No longer is the discussion about 'will this fit in our console or entertainment center'. Today TV purchase has in many ways become a new contact sport and it is not for the weak at heart. I have a 46 inch flat CRT 1080i HDTV. The fact that I can write that sentence and understand it's meaning speaks volumes to my 'guy' qualities. In English, I have a really pretty TV. Those who know me, know with great confidence that I once coveted this television. And even though I did hours of research prior to walking into the store, I was still there for an hour and a half deciding on what TV would grace my living room (and not cause my daughter to go blind). The idea of sports viewing in pristine clarity and movies in true wide screen format puts me one step closer to the dream -- a basement screening room with a 60+ wall mount and over sized recliners. But I digress. High definition television has truly revolutionized home viewing. I will never forget the bitterness I felt last year watching Wimbledon. I had bought my television a few weeks earlier and here I was watching a match for the ages, Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer. The only problem is instead of enjoying this match in high definition I was visiting family and watching it on a 32 inch standard definition TV. Unless you have made this paradigm shift you can not truly appreciate the level of crankiness I experienced. To emphasize the point, recently a cousin called me to come on board the HD bandwagon. She had purchased a smaller TV for her mother's kitchen and phoned me astounded by the sharpness and brightness of the screen quality. A grandmother of twin girls, her exact sentence was "I didn't realize the Backyardigans were those colors!" Last weekend I was in my glory - Georgetown Basketball, Football playoffs and Australian Open tennis. It simply takes the pleasure of watching sports to a level that is close to watching live action. More and more channels are converting to HD and I suspect within the year all major cable networks will have made the switch. My one word of warning when you go shopping -- do your research ahead of time and determine what you want out of your TV. If you don't you will easily get sucked into the vortex that is Best Buy and quickly becomes overwhelmed by the selection choices. Save yourself the headache and the extra $500 you will inevitably spend from the pressure of the moment. As for HD DVD and Blu Ray, I am sitting that battle out. While I suspect that Blu Ray is going to go the way of the 8 track and Beta player, you can never be sure.

Have you taken the plunge into the new technology? What is your preference?

Other Housekeeping Items

It has been a busy week so film viewing has been at a bit of a lull. However I did watch Reign Over Me. This is a movie where Adam Sandler stars alongside Don Cheadle. Sandler is a lost soul and widowed when his family is killed in the 9-11 attacks. Cheadle, his college roommate is a lost soul for entirely different reasons, he finds himself walking through life without purpose when he runs into Sandler's character and attempts to re-engage their friendship. What unfolds over the next two hours has glimmers of poignancy but ultimately is a film where its few parts are vastly better than its sum. The film moves at a glacial pace, Don Cheadle, who I adore seems confused as to what he is doing in the film. Adam Sandler (whom I border on detesting as an actor) mistakes mumbling for despondent and morose. Jada Pinket Smith is horribly miscast and plays Cheadle's neglected wife as though she is a piece of furniture, which is about as interesting as watching cardboard. What could have been a quiet and engaging film (see Grace is Gone) becomes a drawn out bore. While I would like to blame Sandler, the fact is the first time writer/director steers this one into the ditch. His over-direction, like the abuse of light and dark shadows just clutters this film. It tries and wants to be The Fisher King but misses the mark pretty handily.

Heath Ledger

It's inevitable that much will be written in the next couple of days about Heath Ledger's career and untimely death. What struck me so harshly yesterday afternoon upon hearing the news is that we have daughter's the same age. It was that realization that made me cry and my heart ache. I watched speculation run rampant on the news as to what brought a 28 year old life to an end and had to stop reading on the internet because of some of the cruel ignorant rhethoric of some people claiming he got what he deserved for playing a homosexual in a film. I never cease to be amazed at how people cowardly hide behind the internet to spew their anger and bile.

For me, as I sat on the floor this morning playing legos for what feels like the 100th time this week I was struck so sad by the fact that it is a moment I so often take for granted. I saw a eerie clip of an interview Heath Ledger had given. When asked about his daughter he said he was no longer afraid to die because he would live on in her, but that it would be devestating to leave her too soon and not see her grow. He gave that interview 2 months ago, who would have ever thought that reality would come to pass.

Hug your kids a little tighter today and give in to their request to play, read, sing even if it makes you late for work or delays dinner. The time is not ours indefinitely and we should treasure it along the way.

Oscar Oscar - Who will win?

Yes, it is my favorite morning of the year when I traditionally go into work late, sit on the couch and wait for the live announcement of the nominations for the academy awards. Yes it is silly because no one I know personally is going to be nominated and certainly there are more important things going on in the world than the Oscars and it isn't like I can't immediately get the list off the internet. Yet, for me rituals are treasured and this, while frivolous is one I treasure. I like the innocence of anticipating who will be nominated, seeing the dark horses emerge and nominees be recognized for smaller films.

So with that qualifer here is my take on the group this year. I won't list all the nominees, for that you can go to www.oscars.com or any major newspaper of your choice for that matter. Off the bat here are the three nomination factoids that made me very happy:

1) Three women are nominated for original screenplays. One for adaptation. The giddyness of this comes from the reality that Hollywood over time has not been kind to women. I distinctly remember the irony of the Oscars in the year that the ceremony 'celebrated women' was a particularly weak year for women's roles. A fact punctuated by the fact that Meryl Streep was nominated for The River Wild. I love Meryl Streep as much as the next person, but when you are nominating The River Wild you are scraping the bottom of the barrel.

2) Hal Holbrook's nomination for best supporting actor in Into the Wild - I love, love, love the little nominations that could and while I don't think that Hal Holbrook will beat out Javier Bardem's performance in No Country For Old Men it is so great to see a character actor who has been around for literally over 50 years be recognized.

3) Another great surprise was in the lead actress category. While I am pulling for Ellen Page to win I am thrilled to see Laura Linney nominated. She is one of those actors that is so good people take it for granted. I will be watching the SAGs this Sunday to see who takes this category there, because I think that will be a strong indicator of how the chips are going to fall at the Oscars. I will give my Oscar predictions then as well.

Finally, the big question mark of this all is whether or not there will be a telecast because of the writers strike. Here's hoping!

On a Sunday...

Sunday in the Park with George, Tell Me on a Sunday, Any Given Sunday...

Sundays for some is a day of rest, a day for reflection (religious or otherwise) or preparation for the week ahead. For me, Sundays, especially this time of year are for laziness, pajamas and a good pot of coffee, political dish in the AM and football/basketball in the afternoons which is then capped off this evening with my favorite reality show - The Amazing Race. My Sundays haven't really changed in 15 years. I am just indoctrinating Arianna into my slovenly ways.

For me the ideal Sunday begins with reading the NY Times Arts and Leisure section and then sitting down for the one news program in my opinion that provides interesting and informative news - CBS Sunday Morning. I have an odd source for this morning ritual. My brother watches it faithfully and I have grown to understand why. It provides a unique balance of current news of the day, important issues of the moment, pop culture and slice of life profiles on a range of topics like the bizarre woman who created a museum of the history of aprons. For me it is a great way to be informed without the "If it bleeds it leads" mentality.

From there I move onto The Sports Reporters - for me as a casual sports fan who no longer takes the time to invest brain power in team statistics like I use to this panel is fun for covering all the topics in broad sports arena of the day. And without the Daily News as a regular read, it also usually provides me my weekly dose of Mike Lupica, who while insane I love and adore.

My morning is then closed out with my regular dose of appointment TV - Meet the Press. Raise the stakes to the fact that it is an election year and I eat this hour up like it is candy. What I adore is how dogged Tim Russert is and how I continue to be in awe of his research staff. Mind you, some weeks are more interesting than others. Last week I wanted to gauge my own eyes out as Hilliary Clinton droned on avoiding the questions and justifying her candidacy by repeating her stump speech. Now mind you I am extremely biased here. I find her tiresome and as those close to me know, I am done with two decades of Clintons and Bushs in the White House. At the end of the day what bugged me most about her having the entire hour was that she declined being on the show the week prior after losing Iowa. OK, off my soapbox. What I love about Meet the Press is that the analysis is often comprehensive enough that at some point you are yelling at the TV. It is rare that I get that passionate about politics, so for me it is a point of engagement in our system that doesn't overwhelm but absolutely informs what is happening inside the beltway.

It is at this point I ponder lunch and a shower - rarely do both occur and then it is on to an afternoon of sports while I read every cardboard book to my daughter on the floor, build architectural masterpieces with Lego's and generally get treated as though I am a human jungle gym. My biggest laugh in recent weeks was when Arianna woke up from her nap and toddled into the living room rubbing her eyes, took one look at the TV and said "OH NO, FOOTBALL!"

Sunday is simply the best day of the week.

The Divine Trinity

No I am not speaking of the father, the son and the holy ghost. In my house the Divine Trinity is Dora the Explorer, Little Einsteins and The Backyardigans or in Arianna speak - Dora, Rocket and Pablo (she refers to all shows by her favorite character in them).

I am a self professed TV junkie, always have been, always will be. To this day I am still called the walking TV guide by many in my family and sometimes receive phone calls with the sole purpose of asking when a particular TV show is on. Knowing this about myself I knew in having a child that I wasn't going to be one of "those" moms. You know, the ones who ban television from their children's lives as though they will be corrupted to the dark side and/or grow up to be dysfunctional illiterates. My take, growing up I loved TV and I was an avid reader, played outside, had endless play of barbies, house and anything else I could fathom up with my playmates. So for me, moderation and control was the key to success.

I say this because I am failing miserably. TV is a crutch for me and a convenience that I sometimes overindulge. When Arianna wakes up, comes home from daycare or from anywhere really the first words out of her mouth are inevitably "Mommy I want Pablo, Rocket or Dora". Sometimes I say no, most days I don't. So what I have tried to do is limit what type of shows she watches and avoid commercials. DVRs are a magical thing.

The trifecta that she watches play into my great loves for sure.
Dora the Explorer - While I personally find Dora only slightly less annoying than Barney I feel a personal obligation to support any minority lead character on television and appreciate that she is a proud Latina who speaks Spanish and English.
- Little Einsteins - This one plays into my inner band geek. I love the fact that these four kids go off on adventures set to classical music and the backdrops are famous works of art. Yes they should have dubbed the little girl who sings so it doesn't make parents ears bleed, but the pros outweigh the cons. But the mini-UN looking cast taking off to commands like 'Accelerando' does a body good.
- The Backyardigans - OK truth be told, this is my favorite cartoon and I will be sad when she outgrows it. What is not to like about a cartoon about 5 friends in a neighborhood who create adventures in their backyard that takes them into their imagination. With accurate portrayals of genres of dance and music and the occasional dash of sarcasm there is little not to love. And if that doesn't get you, the trigger for them to return home from their adventure/imagination is one of the character's stomach growling, in which they promptly return to someones house for snack.

This one mirrors everything about my childhood that I loved. So, academic studies be damned Arianna and I are going to continue to do the "Yeti Stomp" to the elevator every morning.

What is your take on television and kids? I have a lot of friends entering into parenthood, think what you would do and then observe how it all plays out in reality.

What's in your Queue?

OK, so I suspect this is going to be a regular segment for this blog - the title of course referring to Netflix. Movies by mail. While not quite Urban Fetch of the late 90s, damn I miss those cookies they'd bring with your order, Netflix does provide a convenience to renters that is hard to match.

Since becoming a parent my ability to get movies is limited and strategic most days. As such renting movies has become a means to an end of seeing all that I want to see. With the ongoing writer's strike and the recent trend of making TV series available on DVD now is the perfect time to get caught up or catch that series that was "on too late" to watch when it aired on TV. I mean really, how much American Idol can one individual take?

What I am recommending:
Something New - Bourne Ultimatum
Bourne Ultimatum should definitely be in any action fan's top 5 if like me you missed it in the theater. In my humble opinion it is much stronger than the the sequel and I thought, better paced than the original. This is a rare case of an action series getting stronger.

Something Old - Braveheart/Princess Bride
For anyone who is like me, DVD's have given us two very fun components to film watching - extras and director's commentary. Hearing the perspective of the director and on occasion the actors brings nuance to films you love - I highly recommend it. Extras often involved deleted scenes and bloopers which are always fun. One of my personal favorite Director's commentaries is Braveheart. If that's not your cup of tea than an absolute must is The Princess Bride.

Something Obscure - Domino
For those of you who have jumped on the Kiera Knightley band wagon, check her out in this far from period piece. It's an action thriller from Tony Scott where she plays a model turned bounty hunter. Yes it is as strange as it sounds.

Something Classic - Manchurian Candidate
If you are like me and HATED the Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber remake, revisit the original. It will restore why it is a classic.

TV on DVD - Sports Night
Before there was The West Wing (season 1-3 at least) there was a little watched Aaron Sorkin show called Sports Night. The setting mirrors what one would imagine Sportscenter to be like behind the scenes. But worry not, this is not for sports fans only. It's sharp, funny and at times profoundly touching. Besides, it's got Felicity Huffman before she set up camp on Wisteria Lane and Peter Krause before he went Six Feet Under. If you are not convinced after the first episode, don't pass on it until you've watched "Shoe Money Tonight" and "The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee Tech".

So, as we go into a long holiday weekend, which for me is apparently going to include snow - here is what is in my Queue. What will you be adding to yours?

My top 5 Queue:
Reign on Me - a reluctant rental, because it has Adam Sandler in it but I am hoping Don Cheadle overrides that.
Letters from Iwo Jima - Clint Eastwood's films are usually too slow for my taste, but this has my Ken "la la la" Wantanabe in it and I am curious about the story being told from the side of the Japanese.
The Good German - A little seen George Clooney, Cate Blanchet film directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Elizabeth the Queen Parts 1 & 2 - The HBO film about Elizabeth I with Helen Mirren. It'll be interesting to see this Elizabeth after her turn in The Queen, where she played England's current monarch.

The Absurdity of the Media Machine

OK, a quickie - In an age where the immediacy of information can be overwhelming I am horribly struck by the lack of balance it provides. What has prompted this current rant is of course Britney Spears. None of us can avoid what has gone from a spectacle to unbelievably sad downward spiral of a young woman. It's heartbreaking. But in that same breath it is infuriating because here in Washington, DC there is a news story that broke over the weekend where four children under the age of 10 were found dead in an apartment at the hands of their mother. All were school age and all were abused. Where was the school district, social services, et. al.? I have avoided the coverage for the most part because it sickens me to think those babies are dead. However, yesterday on my drive home from daycare I had the local radio news on and they played a recording of a school social worker's repeated calls LAST APRIL to social services, child protective services and everyone else she could think of to intervene in what she was convinced was neglect and went so far as to call a hostage situation. She had gone to the house when the oldest (her student) had been truant for over over a month without word. The mother barred her from coming in the house but at the door she could see and smell the neglect, when she could not do anything on her own, she sought help, she did so for months and now four children are dead - at the hands of the system created to protect them.

But today's "Hot Topics" on The View and the first half hour of the Today Show won't be covering this, they will continue to discuss the fact that Britney went to church yesterday instead of court to get her children back.

Movies Defining Moments

First and foremost, for those of you who have commented THANKS! I hope you will continue to do so. I have also heard from a lot of people via email about this blog. Among those I heard from was my friend Jenny. Jenny was a foreign exchange student my senior year of high school and played flute in the band. We became fast friends and 16 years, one husband, and three kids between us later we remain friends. I mention her because my last memory of her time here in the United States is tied to a movie. We went to see Silence of the Lambs at Commack Multiplex. Now for those who are my fellow natives of the Isle of Long, you all must be saying - why didn't you go to Brookhaven? The reason being, by the time Jenny and I got around to seeing it that was the only theater that it was playing in. We kept missing the exit of the LIE (Long Island Expressway) to get to the theater and this is long before the days of GPS and mapquest. It was such a great afternoon. The movie creeped both of us out and we went to the diner afterwards and just talked about all the memories we were taking from that year. I made her a promise I would visit Sweden, which I have been lucky enough to do twice since we graduated.

I have so many of those types of memories and defining moments in my life that have movies attached to their landscape. They aren't necessarily tied to Oscars or themes, but in a given moment have resonance. I mean really there is no rhyme or reason for me to have seen Much Ado About Nothing 16 times in the theater. I remember sneaking into 5 movies at Brookhaven Multiplex one summer with Yvonne and Pepe that ranged from Satisfaction (a film at the timed billed with Justine Bateman as the star, but now more commonly referred to as Julia Roberts first and forgotten film) to The Serpent and the Rainbow a weird voodoo film with Bill Pulman long before "While You Were Sleeping". Here's a few more that come to mind:

Seeing "Stand By Me" with Tisha, Chris and Peter and all four of us being in awe of the fact that we were the same age as the characters - their story could be our story.

Raiders of the Lost Ark - The last film I watched with Paul, a man who was my father's best friend and a second dad to me. He died of a heart attack the next day.

Dances With Wolves - The first movie I ever went to alone. I was in high school and the idea of going to the movies on a Friday night alone was unheard of.

Swing Kids - Melissa and I crying our eyes out at the end of the theater that you'd have thought we were watching Schindler's List, but no we were watching a B-movie about teenage Nazi swing dancers. To say the audience was perplexed would be an understatement. A moment that over a decade later still causes instantaneous laughter

What movies transport you back to specific moments in your life?

And the Winner is...

Extreme Home Makeover -- Tonight is one of those nights that has absolutely no significance in the everyday lives of most people. But for movie fans it is the equivalent to the start of March Madness. Unfortunately, the continuing Writers strike in Hollywood took its first casualty of the season, the Golden Globes. With no writers to scribe the painful vignettes or forced banter that proceeds announcing the winners and actors unwilling to cross picket lines NBC was left with a 3 hour time block and absolutely no programming to fill it (see aforementioned strike for why).

The car wreck that was left in its wake began with what amounted to a two hour 'clips show' billed under Dateline's banner and strung together by Matt Lauer set ups and strange archive interviews with nominees. When I changed the channel at 9PM after the Amazing Race ended (more on reality TV coming soon) I found the pathetic and annoying Billy Bush and Nancy O'Dell standing in front of a podium. -- Who? you ask are Billy Bush and Nancy O'Dell -- two people who host the rip off version of Entertainment Tonight known as Access Hollywood. For the next hour they simply ran roll call of the nominees with submission clips and announced the winner by displaying a photo of them on the podium front. After ten minutes I went to USA Today and kept hitting refresh on occasion while bemoaning the idiocy of the whole thing with a friend I have often watched the Golden Globes with over the years. It was NBC duct taping together 3 hours of television with nothing more than film reel and trying to use smoke and mirrors to convince it's audience it was a show. The show in its normal form has suffered at the hands of NBC big wigs since it moved from TBS to network television but this makes bringing the Apprentice back with "celebrities" look like a good move.

So, tomorrow there will be no red carpet water cooler banter of "I can't believe she wore that" and "What was he thinking". There will be no dissection of whether Rumor Willis looks more like Bruce or Demi. For those not regular viewers of the Golden Globes she was scheduled to be the "Golden Globe Girl" which in English means, she was the person set to hand the actual awards to the winners and escort them off stage. But I digress. There will be no dissecting speeches that were poignant, funny, dreadful and simply forgettable. It sets up the critics theories of who now has momentum for Oscar contention - even though the Golden Globes are voted on by a group of 60 some odd individuals that make up the Hollywood Foreign Press. Seriously, the year Sharon Stone won Best Actress for her role in Casino she wrote personal notes to all of the members stating her case for why she should win. It's like running for class president in the 8th grade.

At the end of the day, this fluff is nothing more than red carpet glamour and cotton candy escapism. Rarely is the top grossing film of the year in contention for Best Picture and like I said before, it doesn't matter to most of us. But at a time when the news is filled with kidnappings, missing pregnant women and war and you just can't bear to watch another primary debate things like the Golden Globes can provide a fun distraction as you curse the fact your favorites don't win.

For my part I am good - Javier Bardem was a winner, and I can't believe Atonement won for Best Picture. Here's hoping the writers strike a deal and there is some cotton candy television in my future.

Off to the races... a batch of mini reviews

I have been providing these little mini-reviews for years to friends and family, so I thought I would initiate my blog with a highlight reel of recent films. Thanks to a perfect Christmas gift in the form of an AMC gift card I have been able to catch up on most of my awards contenders. In no particular order...

The Great Debaters - Like Apollo 13 the film is predictable and at the same time a great 2 hours spent at the theater. The story is compelling and the acting was so strong it overcomes some of its cliches. Based on the true story of how the Wiley College debate team rose to be the best of the best in the country at the height of the Jim Crow south the film shows spirit, determination and fear in the most visceral of ways. It is interesting to watch the journey through the eyes of the debate team. Watching Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker going tit for tat makes for a glorious scene that left me wanting more of them sharing screen time. There is some sharp dialogue and a handful of poignant moments that are so honest you have sympathy in the bad choices. A horrifying lynching is painfully juxtaposed with an earlier scene involving Forest Whitaker's character that haunted me for the remainder of the film and its effect made an obvious ending resonate unexpectedly. Worth the time certainly, but not a must see.

Juno - This film I absolutely adored and it was probably my favorite film that I have seen in a year. It is smart, funny, wonderfully written and brilliantly acted. There are moments where it is so witty that it teeters on almost being too smart for it's own good - but I think the solid acting reigns that in and prevents the film from dipping into being pretentious. While I often thought teenagers don't speak with this level of wit you simply can't take anything away from Ellen Page who plays Juno. She deserves all the kudos she is getting because she is luminous on the screen. Her dialogue delivered sharp and indignant while all her vulnerability sits in her body language and face. It is difficult to not be drawn into her journey. For those who don't know, the film is about a 16 yr old girl who becomes pregnant and gives her child up for adoption. The supporting cast from Allison Janey who has two of the best lines in the film to interesting supporting roles from Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner as the potential adoptive parents I just can't say enough positive things. It is a must see if you are wondering "What should I go see?"

Sweeny Todd -- OK, I definitely think what I thought going in that the movie is a perfect marriage of Tim Burton's macabre style and the gruesome material. However, I was concerned about how Burton's direction would handle the music of Stephen Sondheim, and lets be honest the movie musical has had a bumpy resurgence (But more on that in another blog). My two major beefs with the film are as follows:
1)For the life of me I don't know why Tim Burton did not dub Helena Boham Carter. While her acting is solid, she absolutely could not sing it. I mean to the point that they removed lyrics in a pivotal song because she couldn't do it. UGH!!! Hire a singer and have them do a voice over, it worked for Natalie Wood and Audrey Hepburn it could have worked here.
2)My other major beef, for me an unforgivable choice - the fact that Burton uses the orchestrations from opening overture, The Ballad of Sweeny Todd but leaves out the lyrics entirely. It frames the entire show and is stunning musically and I am baffled as to why he left it out.

Johnny Depp hangs in there musically with the material and really captures the maniacal nature of the character. The supporting cast is strong as well and it is visually stunning all around in it's decay, grossness and darkness. All the other cuts of the music made the story flow better. So while I really liked it, those two hiccups kept me arms length from loving it.

No Country for Old Men - Disclaimer - I am completely biased when it comes to this film because it co-stars my beloved Javier "la la la" Bardem. That said it is as many have said the best film the Cohen Brothers have put out since Fargo. I honestly don't remember the last time my shoulders sat in my ears for that amount of time due to the intensity of a film. It grabs you by the jugular from the opening scene and doesn't release it until seconds before the credits role. Javier Bardem embodies evil in ways that are sadistic and cruel. It is a difficult film to describe without retelling the story, but suffice it to say the plot revolves around stolen money and various attempts to retrieve it. While the premise seems overly simplistic it is the way the film unfolds the characters' actions and motives that remains intriguing while a cat and mouse hunt/chase layers over it. Certainly not for the squeamish or easily creeped out. And for anyone thinking, well Fargo was great-- This makes Fargo look like "It's A Wonderful Life".

We few, we happy few...

Inspired by my cousin Julie who dared to begin a blog with a husband, twin boys and a new promotion and with Melissa's ever constant "You should start a blog" cadence I am taking the plunge.

Of course my first challenge was to decide what on earth I wanted to write about and what would have at a minimum my friends and family possibly stopping by on occasion. I realized in my unemployment as I have caught up on my movie watching just how much I miss chatting and dissecting films and TV with friends.

So in light of the fact that there is a writer's strike, no more original film programming and a cancelled Golden Globes this weekend I thought this would be the perfect time to start up a blog on this topic.

Hope everyone enjoys...