Movie: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Like/Don't Like: I guess I didn't like it much
There were a few things that would have, if I were a weaker person, pushed this into the like category. But most of it would boil down to Ciaran Hinds. I love him because he plays Captain Wentworth in the good adaptation of Persuasion. The one that did not have a kissing scene at the end that made me want to vomit. I know that it's completely irrational to like a movie because one person is in it but he just has such a nice way about him. I feel better with any movie that he's in.
But he couldn't save it. It was like a piece of cotton candy -- sweet but not very satisfying. There just wasn't enough to it to make me believe in it. And I think that again it boils down to Ciaran Hinds, and all the other fine actors in it. There just wasn't enough for them to do and in the end I was unimpressed with the whole thing.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
The King of Kong: A Fist Full of Quarters
Documentary: The King of Kong: A Fistfull of Quarters
Like/Don't Like: My face almost exploded from the joy of watching it.
This pretty much was made for me. Because it combined several things that I love. 1.) Documentaries, 2.) the ridiculous, 3.) a good under-dog story and 4.) really bad hair. I mean REALLY bad hair. So bad that it's fabulous. So bad that at one point it showed this guy blow-drying his hair and I almost swooned. The picture doesn't even do it justice. You have to see it in motion. Like a wild horse's mane.
That guy is Billy Mitchell, the original world record holder of Donkey Kong. And he's a jerk. You will hate him at the end. But you will also love him because you couldn't create a character like this. He's everything you want in a geek/hot sauce mogul/egomaniacal video game lord, complete with sycophantic toadies and all wrapped up in black jeans and an American flag tie. You will be cheering for Steve Wiebe, who has been cheated out of the record by Billy Mitchell several times. He's a good guy that bad things have happened to and he just wants to do something great. And Donkey Kong is that something.
I never even dreamed that I would care about Donkey Kong or gamers but I'm telling you, by the end of the show you're going to be laughing and screaming and crying. There's drama and espionage (seriously) and real heart touching moments. And bonus, a video game tournament on Lake Winnepesaukee. I couldn't stop smiling through the whole thing.
Like/Don't Like: My face almost exploded from the joy of watching it.
This pretty much was made for me. Because it combined several things that I love. 1.) Documentaries, 2.) the ridiculous, 3.) a good under-dog story and 4.) really bad hair. I mean REALLY bad hair. So bad that it's fabulous. So bad that at one point it showed this guy blow-drying his hair and I almost swooned. The picture doesn't even do it justice. You have to see it in motion. Like a wild horse's mane.
That guy is Billy Mitchell, the original world record holder of Donkey Kong. And he's a jerk. You will hate him at the end. But you will also love him because you couldn't create a character like this. He's everything you want in a geek/hot sauce mogul/egomaniacal video game lord, complete with sycophantic toadies and all wrapped up in black jeans and an American flag tie. You will be cheering for Steve Wiebe, who has been cheated out of the record by Billy Mitchell several times. He's a good guy that bad things have happened to and he just wants to do something great. And Donkey Kong is that something.
I never even dreamed that I would care about Donkey Kong or gamers but I'm telling you, by the end of the show you're going to be laughing and screaming and crying. There's drama and espionage (seriously) and real heart touching moments. And bonus, a video game tournament on Lake Winnepesaukee. I couldn't stop smiling through the whole thing.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The Solitaire Mystery
Book: The Solitaire Mystery
Author: Jostein Gaarder
Like/Don't Like: Liked
A few weeks ago an envelope appeared under my door mat (The ugly door mat that we have since gotten rid of now that the neighbor who gave it to us has moved. REJOICE!(for the door mat, not the neighbor moving.)) Inside was a nine of hearts card with some Norwegian written on it. Clearly Brett was involved, but what did it all mean. A few weeks later a Joker card showed up with more Norwegian and a Cinnabon gift card. Awesome. But still, I was very confused.
And then Brett came by with a book that held the answers. A book involving a sticky bun with a baker's personal history inside, soda that tastes like every flavor on earth, lots of goldfish, lots of philosophy, a boy and his dad on a European roadtrip to find his mom who is a supermodel working in Greece, and 53 midgets on a magical island.
Yep, that's right, midgets. And since this was translated from Norwegian there is no political correctness involved. Midgets everywhere!
I love getting books from friends. Not just Borders gift cards but actual books that they think I'll like that I would probably never pick out for myself. And I did like this one. It was kind of a cross between Alice in Wonderland and Neverending Story with a bunch of philosophy thrown in. And, on top of being a great adventure, it made me think - which is always a bonus.
My only problem was in the translation. I don't know Norwegian or how easily it translates but this one did not translate well. There were times when it seemed almost literal and that was distracting. But as far as the story goes it was fun to read.
And I'm not telling what the nine of hearts of the joker means. You'll have to read it to find out.
Author: Jostein Gaarder
Like/Don't Like: Liked
A few weeks ago an envelope appeared under my door mat (The ugly door mat that we have since gotten rid of now that the neighbor who gave it to us has moved. REJOICE!(for the door mat, not the neighbor moving.)) Inside was a nine of hearts card with some Norwegian written on it. Clearly Brett was involved, but what did it all mean. A few weeks later a Joker card showed up with more Norwegian and a Cinnabon gift card. Awesome. But still, I was very confused.
And then Brett came by with a book that held the answers. A book involving a sticky bun with a baker's personal history inside, soda that tastes like every flavor on earth, lots of goldfish, lots of philosophy, a boy and his dad on a European roadtrip to find his mom who is a supermodel working in Greece, and 53 midgets on a magical island.
Yep, that's right, midgets. And since this was translated from Norwegian there is no political correctness involved. Midgets everywhere!
I love getting books from friends. Not just Borders gift cards but actual books that they think I'll like that I would probably never pick out for myself. And I did like this one. It was kind of a cross between Alice in Wonderland and Neverending Story with a bunch of philosophy thrown in. And, on top of being a great adventure, it made me think - which is always a bonus.
My only problem was in the translation. I don't know Norwegian or how easily it translates but this one did not translate well. There were times when it seemed almost literal and that was distracting. But as far as the story goes it was fun to read.
And I'm not telling what the nine of hearts of the joker means. You'll have to read it to find out.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Twilight
Book: Twilight
Author: Stephanie Meyer
Like/Don't Like: Dear Stephanie Meyer, Please edit. EDIT! EDIT! EDIT! Love, Rachel
Alright. I get it. I see why every single person on the planet has recommended this book to me. The story is interesting. Edward is dreamy. I wish I could fall in love with a vampire. Now will you please leave me alone?
It's not the story I have a problem with, it's the writing (okay, maybe a little bit of the story, but they're minor points and mostly because of the writing so I'm not even going to touch them) Which means that this is purely a technical issue I have with it and if you're not like me and certain writing styles don't ruin a book for you then by all means read it and love it. I'm not judging you at all. I want you to love this book. Really. I have a load of friends who love this book and I don't want to offend any of them so I hope the "it's not you, it's me" excuse flies here.
How about I talk about what I did like? It's quick and easy. The perfect book for summer. And it's romantic. And interesting in that I've never read a vampire book before. But it's not actually a vampire book, it's a romance book. A big fat romance book. You should keep this in mind.
Which leads me to what I didn't like. You remember that friend of yours who started dating a guy and for the first month or so they couldn't stop cuddling and whispering and touching each other and every time you were with them you wanted to gag and you would talk about them with your other friends, like, "For crying in the mud! We're in the middle of church and they can't stop massaging each other!"? That is totally this book. It's like I was stuck on a very long road trip with Bella and Edward and all they could say was, "I love you," "I love you more," "No, I love you more." "Uh-uh. I love YOU more." "Schmoopy." "No, you're a schmoopy." "But you're my schmoopy." "Stop it schmoopy!" "No, you stop it schmoopy!" Cuddle, cuddle, snuggle, snuggle, gaze longingly into each other's eyes. Gag! I'm totally fine with a page or two of that and I know exactly how true to form it is, but 200 pages is ridiculous.
And enough with the descriptions. The book never shuts up. It is never just, "'Blah, blah, blah,' said Bella." Instead it's "'Blah, blah, blah,' whispered Bella as she looked deep into his golden eyes and touched his perfectly sculpted hand." Every, and I really do mean every, conversation went on like this.
You see, I'm a less is more girl when it comes to books. I like to use my imagination a little and this book never lets you. It tells you everything. Every class Bella has, the path that she takes at school, the friends she sees in the hallways, what she cooks for dinner, the clothes that she's wearing, the gas mileage her truck gets. I know that this is a common flaw in a lot of first books but it's not one that I deal very well with. It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't get in the way of the story but when 50% of the book is describing things like how gorgeous Edward is, I get a little annoyed.
And now for some examples of things that nearly made me give it all up.
She would not stop talking about his eyes and so I started jotting down a few of the descriptions: ocher, deep golden honey, darker than butterscotch, deep gold, burning gold, blazing gold, dark golden, and - my personal favorite - liquid topaz. LIQUID TOPAZ!
How about this one: "The light of the setting orb glittering off his skin in ruby-tinged sparkles." Are you kidding me?
Or..."I didn't feel like mentioning that my stomach was already full -- of butterflies."
And do people really gulp when they're taken aback? Because Bella was always gulping, as in, "He touched my arm. I gulped." Really? Like she's some kind of old-timey cartoon.
If I were in a Stephanie Meyer book right now it would go something like this: "Rachel sighed and rolled her grass colored eyes, tossed the weighty licorice black book to the side of the couch and sarcastically whispered, 'Looks like someone found her thesaurus."
Author: Stephanie Meyer
Like/Don't Like: Dear Stephanie Meyer, Please edit. EDIT! EDIT! EDIT! Love, Rachel
Alright. I get it. I see why every single person on the planet has recommended this book to me. The story is interesting. Edward is dreamy. I wish I could fall in love with a vampire. Now will you please leave me alone?
It's not the story I have a problem with, it's the writing (okay, maybe a little bit of the story, but they're minor points and mostly because of the writing so I'm not even going to touch them) Which means that this is purely a technical issue I have with it and if you're not like me and certain writing styles don't ruin a book for you then by all means read it and love it. I'm not judging you at all. I want you to love this book. Really. I have a load of friends who love this book and I don't want to offend any of them so I hope the "it's not you, it's me" excuse flies here.
How about I talk about what I did like? It's quick and easy. The perfect book for summer. And it's romantic. And interesting in that I've never read a vampire book before. But it's not actually a vampire book, it's a romance book. A big fat romance book. You should keep this in mind.
Which leads me to what I didn't like. You remember that friend of yours who started dating a guy and for the first month or so they couldn't stop cuddling and whispering and touching each other and every time you were with them you wanted to gag and you would talk about them with your other friends, like, "For crying in the mud! We're in the middle of church and they can't stop massaging each other!"? That is totally this book. It's like I was stuck on a very long road trip with Bella and Edward and all they could say was, "I love you," "I love you more," "No, I love you more." "Uh-uh. I love YOU more." "Schmoopy." "No, you're a schmoopy." "But you're my schmoopy." "Stop it schmoopy!" "No, you stop it schmoopy!" Cuddle, cuddle, snuggle, snuggle, gaze longingly into each other's eyes. Gag! I'm totally fine with a page or two of that and I know exactly how true to form it is, but 200 pages is ridiculous.
And enough with the descriptions. The book never shuts up. It is never just, "'Blah, blah, blah,' said Bella." Instead it's "'Blah, blah, blah,' whispered Bella as she looked deep into his golden eyes and touched his perfectly sculpted hand." Every, and I really do mean every, conversation went on like this.
You see, I'm a less is more girl when it comes to books. I like to use my imagination a little and this book never lets you. It tells you everything. Every class Bella has, the path that she takes at school, the friends she sees in the hallways, what she cooks for dinner, the clothes that she's wearing, the gas mileage her truck gets. I know that this is a common flaw in a lot of first books but it's not one that I deal very well with. It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't get in the way of the story but when 50% of the book is describing things like how gorgeous Edward is, I get a little annoyed.
And now for some examples of things that nearly made me give it all up.
She would not stop talking about his eyes and so I started jotting down a few of the descriptions: ocher, deep golden honey, darker than butterscotch, deep gold, burning gold, blazing gold, dark golden, and - my personal favorite - liquid topaz. LIQUID TOPAZ!
How about this one: "The light of the setting orb glittering off his skin in ruby-tinged sparkles." Are you kidding me?
Or..."I didn't feel like mentioning that my stomach was already full -- of butterflies."
And do people really gulp when they're taken aback? Because Bella was always gulping, as in, "He touched my arm. I gulped." Really? Like she's some kind of old-timey cartoon.
If I were in a Stephanie Meyer book right now it would go something like this: "Rachel sighed and rolled her grass colored eyes, tossed the weighty licorice black book to the side of the couch and sarcastically whispered, 'Looks like someone found her thesaurus."
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The Baxter
Movie: The Baxter
Like/Don't Like: Really like. (It's already been 2 days since I've seen it. This means that I've passed into the "All I remember is that I like it" Zone, from which there is not return. But you should take my word for it.)
You know those guys in movies who are left at the alter when the main guy bursts into the wedding and steals the main girl away? Those guys are Baxters and this movie is about one and how he ceases to be one.
So, even though it's been a few days since I've seen it (I'm really not kidding when I say I don't remember movies. It's been less than 48 hours and I can't remember any of the characters' names.) I can remember a few things:
1.) I reminded me of the Apartment. Mostly because Michelle Williams has a bit of the Shirley MacLaine in her (especially with her cute short hair) and Jack Lemon is the ultimate Baxter. But also because, like the Apartment, it's clever. I love a clever movie.
2.) I loved the music and the costumes. I know that there was a Rufus Wainwright song on there, which I always approve of. And the clothes were well thought out. I particularly liked What's His Names hats. Elliot! I remember his name is Elliot. Because the other guy, the one who swoops in and steals the girl, keeps calling him L-Train or Elbow Macaroni.
3.) There were surprise cast members that I love. Paul Rudd and Michael Ian Black (although he wasn't a surprise. He and the guy who played Elliot are in a comedy group together.) and Peter Dinklage, who delivered the line, "And I would like an apple juice," in a way that made me nearly fall off the couch from laughing.
Like/Don't Like: Really like. (It's already been 2 days since I've seen it. This means that I've passed into the "All I remember is that I like it" Zone, from which there is not return. But you should take my word for it.)
You know those guys in movies who are left at the alter when the main guy bursts into the wedding and steals the main girl away? Those guys are Baxters and this movie is about one and how he ceases to be one.
So, even though it's been a few days since I've seen it (I'm really not kidding when I say I don't remember movies. It's been less than 48 hours and I can't remember any of the characters' names.) I can remember a few things:
1.) I reminded me of the Apartment. Mostly because Michelle Williams has a bit of the Shirley MacLaine in her (especially with her cute short hair) and Jack Lemon is the ultimate Baxter. But also because, like the Apartment, it's clever. I love a clever movie.
2.) I loved the music and the costumes. I know that there was a Rufus Wainwright song on there, which I always approve of. And the clothes were well thought out. I particularly liked What's His Names hats. Elliot! I remember his name is Elliot. Because the other guy, the one who swoops in and steals the girl, keeps calling him L-Train or Elbow Macaroni.
3.) There were surprise cast members that I love. Paul Rudd and Michael Ian Black (although he wasn't a surprise. He and the guy who played Elliot are in a comedy group together.) and Peter Dinklage, who delivered the line, "And I would like an apple juice," in a way that made me nearly fall off the couch from laughing.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Robin Hood
TV Show: Robin Hood on BBC America (the second season just ended so you're going to have to Netflix it)
Like/Don't Like: Who doesn't love merry men?
Did you like the A-Team? Don't answer that. Everyone liked the A-Team. And if you didn't I'm not sure I want to be your friend. So, we've established that you like the A-Team. That means that you'll like Robin Hood. Because it is totally Medieval A-Team.
There's a band of outlaws, back from war and on the run from bad guys who are suppose to be good, and in their spare time they help out the poor by staging daring and elaborate rescues and not once getting nicked by an arrow. There is an underlying plot that runs throughout the series but this is basically the premise of every episode. And that may sound kind of dull but it worked for the A-Team because the characters where funny and, well, there's just something nice and familiar about it. Like your favorite breakfast cereal, how you keep going back to it over and over again because you know it's always going to be good even though the flavor never changes. It's the same here. There are funny characters and a few witty lines and sometimes they mix up the formula and kill someone off but for the most part it's just fun to watch.
And, it has the added bonus of Richard Armitage*. He's a bad guy, which makes it all the more intriguing. You want to hate him but you just can't.
*I was just talking to some friends the other day who have not watched North and South yet. I'm not sure how this is even possible because I thought I was pretty clear that everyone needed to watch it. I'm not just talking about sometime in the distant future but RIGHT NOW. GO TO BLOCKBUSTER RIGHT NOW AND GET IT. Do not make me get all Queen of the Universe on you.
Like/Don't Like: Who doesn't love merry men?
Did you like the A-Team? Don't answer that. Everyone liked the A-Team. And if you didn't I'm not sure I want to be your friend. So, we've established that you like the A-Team. That means that you'll like Robin Hood. Because it is totally Medieval A-Team.
There's a band of outlaws, back from war and on the run from bad guys who are suppose to be good, and in their spare time they help out the poor by staging daring and elaborate rescues and not once getting nicked by an arrow. There is an underlying plot that runs throughout the series but this is basically the premise of every episode. And that may sound kind of dull but it worked for the A-Team because the characters where funny and, well, there's just something nice and familiar about it. Like your favorite breakfast cereal, how you keep going back to it over and over again because you know it's always going to be good even though the flavor never changes. It's the same here. There are funny characters and a few witty lines and sometimes they mix up the formula and kill someone off but for the most part it's just fun to watch.
And, it has the added bonus of Richard Armitage*. He's a bad guy, which makes it all the more intriguing. You want to hate him but you just can't.
*I was just talking to some friends the other day who have not watched North and South yet. I'm not sure how this is even possible because I thought I was pretty clear that everyone needed to watch it. I'm not just talking about sometime in the distant future but RIGHT NOW. GO TO BLOCKBUSTER RIGHT NOW AND GET IT. Do not make me get all Queen of the Universe on you.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Under the Same Moon
Movie: Under the Same Moon
Like/Don't Like: How do you say "Pass the tissue" in Spanish?
Golly, I cried a lot through this movie. This was expected because it's about a cute little boy in Mexico trying to get to his mother in LA. How was I not suppose to cry?
And I know that this was the intention. Everything was sweet and heart-warming and a little contrived, and the "immigrants have it hard" card was dealt too often (for the record, I actually do believe that immigrants have it hard for the work they do here. Don't you think we should make it just a little bit easier for the woman who cleans our toilets for minimum wage to stay here with her kids?) but it was tough to not like it. I'm a sucker for little boys. Plus, there's a man with a mustache, and you know how I'm feeling about mustaches these days.
Like/Don't Like: How do you say "Pass the tissue" in Spanish?
Golly, I cried a lot through this movie. This was expected because it's about a cute little boy in Mexico trying to get to his mother in LA. How was I not suppose to cry?
And I know that this was the intention. Everything was sweet and heart-warming and a little contrived, and the "immigrants have it hard" card was dealt too often (for the record, I actually do believe that immigrants have it hard for the work they do here. Don't you think we should make it just a little bit easier for the woman who cleans our toilets for minimum wage to stay here with her kids?) but it was tough to not like it. I'm a sucker for little boys. Plus, there's a man with a mustache, and you know how I'm feeling about mustaches these days.
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