ring of fire

I will post my review of MY broadway muscial later this week. The cat is acting as if I am starving her to death, and has now kamikazi'id (I know this isn't a real word, but I am going to continue to use it...it is now my favorite word!) herself onto the computer table in an act of all out desperation.

Lordy, I love this cat!

miranda!

After Richard and I left waiting at the stage door of "Ring of Fire", we walked past the theatre where "The Odd Couple" was playing and watched as Nathan Lane walked out the door to the roar of his adoring fans. There was another group of people standing on the sidewalk next to us, and who should be there but Cynthia Nixon heading out after performing in her play "The Rabbit Hole". I stopped like an idiot, glaring, pulled out my ever present notebook and Commerce Bank pen, and got her autograph. Of course, because it is me, my pen barely worked. However, I have Miranda from "Sex and the City's" autograph and that's all that matters. I love living in New York City!

photo credit: www.gothamist.com

eric bana finally gets what he deserves....

And by that comment, I mean an amazing movie. This afternoon, I went and took in the film "Munich". It is brilliant, moving, terrifying, sad, exhilarating...the feelings and responses I had go on and on. The key of this movie is the unbelievable performance of Eric Bana. I have always admired his amazing work in not so amazing movies. "The Hulk" which was a major flop, I admit it was weird and didn't work, but he was amazing. Then came "Troy", which was meant to be Brad Pitt's glory role. Well, I walked out of that movie thinking how good Mr. Bana was, and how awful Mr. Pitt looked next to him. He is great. (Random side note: I am so looking forward to seeing him in his new movie about gambling with Drew Barrymore!) Anyway,"Munich" tells the story of the agents who retaliated for the killings of the Israeli Olympians who were taken hostage and eventually murdered. Mr. Bana leads the team (including the always fabulous Ciaran Hinds, and the new 007 Daniel Craig) as they go about systematically assassinating the 11 terrorists behind the Olympic plot. What follows is two and a half hours of on-the-edge of your seat bloodlust, horror, redemption. It's hard to explain. It's a movie to see and reflect on. Yes, these murders are in retaliation for the athlete's deaths, but those deaths were in retaliation for some other crime. It is circle of blame and death that there is no end to, that we are still living today. Kudos to Steven Spielberg for an affecting, powerful film that I am still running in my head hours later.

Final thought: A worthy Oscar nomination for best film that you should definitely check out.

photo credit: www.movieweb.com

ellen, eric, and a perfect thursday

One of my favorite people in the whole world is staying at my apartment right now. Ellen, one of my former AMDA cohorts moved back to her native Canada last August, and I have missed her desperately since. She arrived very late Sunday night/early Monday morning, and we have been hanging out since. It is bliss. As many of you might recall, I mentioned my excitement that they were releasing "The Prince and Me 2: The Royal Wedding". Ellen is such a good friend that we rented and watched it tonight, and ordered Mexican food to boot. It just doesn't get any better than that. What to say about this movie....it wasn't as bad as it could be? After a slow start, I am thrilled to say that it did get better...but then kind of puttered out at the end. Luke Mably (the cute as a button King, see photo) is the only actor who returned for the sequel....hmm, never a good sign. Anyway, the girl who replaced Julia Stiles is fine. She kind of looks like her in a creepy way when she smiles. That kind of eeked me out through the whole movie. Okay, so the plot is they are 3 weeks away from the wedding, and 2 weeks away from finals. Okay, here's my question, why would you plan your wedding during your finals? Even if you are royalty, why create the drama? And then, do nothing but complain about how busy you are? Seriously. Argh. So, an angry Norwegian Prince finds out that if the King became king while he as unmarried, he has to marry someone of noble birth before his 23rd birthday. Yes, I am not kidding. So, the angry Prince brings along his beautiful daughter who also happens to be Edvard's childhood best friend. Drama ensues. I have to say my favorite part was when we met Eric. I don't want to give too much away in case you are going to watch it, but this random person steps in to help solve the movie's problem in a major way...and all without saying a word. I think he was King of nodding in the movie. [sigh] Although not as important as any other character in the film, he really made it for me. Long live Eric the nodder!

Final thoughts: So, you probably don't need to see this movie, unless you are high, being tortured, or really liked the first one and are intrigued about where the story is going.

True highlight of the night: Ellen made some suggestions for other sequels.
The Prince and Me 3: The Divorce
The Prince and Me 4: Single Motherhood
I am looking forward to both of them.

photo credit: www.movieweb.com (the prince and me)
photo credit: www.rottentomatoes.com (the prince and me 2)

multiple org....i mean multiple movies

Well friends, it was a holiday weekend in New York, which means that I saw many, many movies. It was beyond fabulous. First, last Friday, my roommate and partner-in-crime and I took in "Eight Below". This movie affected my profoundly. I don't know why. I think most people know that I am a crier....meaning that I cry at everything. Commercials, films, television, even the right radio ad can bring me to tears. So, add into it that I am now a pet owner, who loves her cat with unnatural passion, and I turned into an emotional mess. Paul Walker (fun to look at) plays a character whose name I don't remember, and works in Antarctica as a guide for scientists. So, he takes this guy out, and there ends up being a storm, and then there is an accident, and they have to be airlifted out. Sadly, they have to leave the 8 dogs behind until the next trip...when the bland love interest will return for them the next day. So, the weather turns, and they can't go back for the dogs for six months. It is so sad to watch as the dogs try to survive. Insert a dead orca (add more tears...) and a scary-a** seal, and you have got fun, dog story. I actually really enjoyed it. I liked looking at Paul Walker [sigh], and the dogs are fabulous.

Final thoughts: Check it out, but beware of scary seals!

On Sunday afternoon, after buying 96 cans of cat food on sale for 40 cents on sale, I wandered to the 84th Street Loews and took in "Hoodwinked". It was fun. The story is actually interesting, and the voices are great. I did figure out the mystery, but I have to say, I think I would be worried if I didn't seeing as the average age of the viewer was 7 or so. Anyway, it had some funny moments and even some songs so that was fun. Is it as good as "Finding Nemo" or "The Incredibles"? No, but it can be diverting.

Final thoughts: Fun to watch, but you can make it a Blockbuster night.

On Monday, my friend Ellen and I went and took in this fabulously bizarre British film called "Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story". I don't even know where to start with this movie. It is a movie within a movie, talking about how unadaptable this book is to make into the movie being made. It is basically the who's who of British film..I recognized actor after actor. Plus, it is really funny, and painful, and interesting, and bizarre. Steve Coogan plays Steve Coogan and Tristram Shandy and his father. Confused? Yeah, me too...but the movie was brilliant. I loved the inside look at the movie-making business. It was just a neat behind the scenes peek that was amusing and hilarious.

Final thoughts: This is a must-see for true movie lovers...and who won't crack up at seeing an actor lowered into a prosthetic uterus?

photo credit: www.movieweb.com

hernando's hideaway

It was a Sunday. I put on my duck boots, said a quick prayer, heade out into the 27 inches of snow from the blizzard, and make my way to Times Square to see "The Pajama Game". Yes friends, the show must go on. The trek within itself is worth discussion. For instance, I imagine you giggling picturing me bundled up in my knee-length down coat, kamikaziing across the four foot drifts/piles on the corner. It was a giggle.
Anyway, I digress. The show. I wanted to love this show. I wanted to adore this show. I really liked this show. First things being first, this show is worth seeing for one reason: the second act show stopper "Hernando's Hideaway". (SPOILER ALERT!) In this scene, Harry Connick, Jr. sits down at a piano and totally rocks out for like five minutes. I sat there rapt, barely breathing...it was phenomenal. That made it worth the ticket price alone.
However, there are other issues to address. This show has not aged well. It was a cute show in the 50's, and now it is a cute show that makes you laugh with the silliness, and cringe at the quite outdated notions. The first act really needs to be tightened up. The second act much outshines it.
Megan Lawrence playing Gladys stole the show. Her sequences with Harry Connick, Jr. are a riot, and her physical comedy is fabulous. Kelli O'Hara does a good job with a not great part. My only caveat is that she was cracking all over the place. She has a beautiful voice, and she is trying so hard to style it here, and is sometimes missing. I was, in fact, a little disappointed. To hear brilliance, make sure to listen to "The Light in the Piazza". She is stunning. Harry Connick, Jr. does a good job. He had a bit of a slow start, but by the end I was invested. Again, I stand by what he does (plays on the piano) in "Hernando's Hideaway" as the high point of the show.
If you get a chance to check it out, and money is not a big deal, I say go and enjoy. There are a lot of fun moments. However, if you want to see a great show set in the 50's, cut your losses and go see "The Light in the Piazza" instead.

*Thoughts about the dancing: Anytime I go to a Broadway show and feel like I could be up there doing the routine, I kind of wonder. Although "Steam Heat" is interesting, I could have been up there paddle-turning with the best of them!

photo credit: www.playbill.com

mourning "arrested development"

I love TV. I adore TV. I watch hours and hours of it a week. It inevitably is the basis for most of my conversations. It amuses me, surprises me, makes me laugh, cry, yell, and want to buy useless things. Last Friday, a moment came, and I feel I must write about this moment. "Arrested Development" came to an end. We are (fortunately) in the middle of a great TV time in America. "Arrested Development" was the best there was. This show was hilarious, horrifying, smart, challenging. I actually only started watching it last season. After the first two random second season episodes I had seen, I ran out and bought season one on DVD. It was that funny. The Bluth family is as dysfunctional as any family could be. This ensemble cast was so brilliant....each actor brought so much to each role. It is the kind of show where you would be cringing in horror and embarrassment one moment, and the next you would have tears running down your face because you were laughing so hard. I loved this show, and the two-hour finale on Friday was no exception. So, it is with sadness that I bid a very fond farewell to the best television show. I will miss it.

But this blog isn't totally without hope! We are in the midst of great TV! It is all around us, and all you have to do is look. For the best medical dramas, make sure to check out "Grey's Anatomy" and "House". If you are looking for comedy...you must see "Scrubs" and "Family Guy". For hour long drama, make sure to see "Gilmore Girls", "Bones" and "Lost". Also, another great show is "Veronica Mars" which is a very funny drama about a high school detective. So, just because we are losing the best show on TV [sob!], that doesn't mean there aren't other great shows out there. The moral of the story is.....the only thing that matters are the commercials.

photo credit: www.foxtv.it/upload

bad weather, and how it inconveniences me

Allegedly, New York is going to get a foot of snow tonight. This really pisses me off. Why, you might ask. I have a ticket tomorrow to see "The Pajama Game" starring Harry Connick, Jr. and Kelli O'Hara. Why is it that bad weather only happens once you have been softened up by mild days, and make big plans? Why? I will let you know if I make it to the show. Argh!

searching for Jesus, the standby painter

As my friends know, when the credits come up, one doesn't make a mad dash for the door. Instead, you wait and watch the credits with bated breath. Then, the moment I live for....who is the standby painter???? I always hope it is someone named Jesus. I don't know why, or how, this obsession originally started. I just don't. However, all these years later I still do it. Every movie...I sit and wait and watch.
The real question is, what happens when I find it? Will I be happy, or somehow disappointed that my life-long quest is over? This is how I see it....it is an unattainable dream. For instance...I think everyone imagines (or maybe just dorks like me) that you will somehow start a torrid affair with a major motion picture star. Then, you go through a horrible break-up. Somehow it gets out, and the press are following you or something. So, then, you go home for your 10-year high school reunion. As you sit there confiding in your best friend, the horrible popular girl from high school embarrasses you in front of the entire school. You stand there horrified until your movie star rushes in to your reunion and begs for you to give him a second chance. Nothing happened with the model or actress that he was photographed with....I consider this scenario also, perhaps, an unattainable dream. (especially since my 10 year reunion is summer 2007!) My point is, just because it seems unlikely that I am going to start a relationship with oh Gerard Butler or Josh Lucas (movie stars du jour....)that doesn't mean I won't dream/think about it, and keep my eyes open as I walk through the city. So, at every movie I see, I watch the credits and just wonder if this time is the time that Jesus will be the stand-by painter. (In case you were wondering, there was no standby painter today at "Something New".) Maybe the moral is that hope is important, and you have to keep the dream alive that today is the day that your quest happens! Or, perhaps more likely, I have residual acceptance issues from high school. Either way, I see a lot of movies, and am willing to give out my phone number to Josh Lucas or Gerard Butler.

photo credit: www.gerardbutler.net

a very sweet romantic comedy

I love Valentine's Day....well no, not really, for many, many reasons. However, being a single woman, living in New York City with a cat, [sigh, sigh, bigger sigh], I am a sucker for a great romantic comedy. And, I have found this V-day's winning flick. "Something New" is about Kenya, a black woman who has it all, career, money, family, but no man. Enter white landscaper Brian.....let me emphasize white. "Something New" isn't a new story....interracial couples are not new, but this is a sweet romantic comedy, that is seriously funny, and not afraid to confront the race issue straight on. I laughed, I sighed, blushed during the dirty parts, and ate my popcorn with a grin. The leads are fabulous, and Donald Faison from "Scrubs" is hilarious as the "player" brother. Whether you are a couple or a single [sigh], you should check out this great romantic movie. (Best part: if you're single, it helps you remember that maybe there is love out there....instead of making you want to slit your wrists!)

Final thoughts: Run to the theatre, and enjoy the romance! Happy Valentine's Day!

photo credit: www.movieweb.com

pussycat profile

Name: Mama Cass
Weight: 7 Pounds, 7 ounces
Birthday: January 2004
Likes: eating, sleeping, "Angel", sitting on my mother's head, pouncing on my mother's head in the middle of the night for no reason, laying on whatever my mother is doing.
Dislikes: not eating, not sleeping, "Van Helsing", being picked up and held, going in my carrier.

What my mother has learned about me: I am always very affectionate in the morning, and extra affectionate when there is a possibility of food. I am not yet a lap cat, but she hasn't given up hope. After a rough start, she loves having me, and I think I may tolerate her. When in doubt, I always investigate what is going on, no matter what else I'm doing.

what i did this weekend in ohio

Ah.....going home to Ohio is always what my soul craves, and this weekend, I got to give into the craving and returned to good ole' Remington Road. The reason....Baby Boy Slack's baby shower. A lovely affair, I stood around and touched Angie's stomach as much as I could without her decking me, and ate enough cake to put me in a 36 hour sugar coma. The best kind of party. I know that many of you have been following the saga of Baby Boy Slack, and how tough it has been on poor Angie and Jon. Well, a miracle happened, and suddenly, Baby Boy Slack is back on track for a full-term pregnancy! Angie had a doctor's visit and she is back at work, off bed rest, and scrambling to find natural childbirth classes. Needless to say, we are all thrilled. Angie looked gorgeous this weekend.....tummy so big, and she definitely has the pregnancy glow about her. I had a brief moment with my brother....short enough that we actually hugged each other rather than beat one another into a bloody pulp. He he. I can so take him out.
I actually arrived home Thursday night. We promptly picked up Greek food, and headed to the house. On Friday, I got to catch up with a CATCO friend who is getting married soon (HA! Another reason to head home! I can't wait!), and we talked movies and life. Friday night, we had the best pizza in the world, Bexley Pizza Plus. So good. I can't even tell you. We also watched "Office Space" which is a must-see. That movie is hilarious, and if you have ever worked in an office will speak to your soul. Saturday....the party, then home to avoid the nasty storm coming through. The parents and I watched "Monk", a great show on the USA network about an obsessive-compulsive detective. It is as bizarre as it sounds. Then, on Sunday, we skipped church (lousy sinners), visited by Grandmother, hit the mall (bought sweatsuits - hooray!), and then took in "Good Night and Good Luck". Still a fabulous movie that my father said he would like to own someday. There is honestly no higher recommendation than that. We had planned to go to a fancy dinner...but would you believe that the restaurant (Cap City Diner) was closed for the Superbowl? So, off for Chinese food and then home for the commercials.
All in all, it was an amazing weekend.

Favorite Superbowl commercial: Had to be the Budweiser Magic Fridge one.
Favorite weekend quote: "People are stupid. They should be shot." -Carolyn Slack

sad thought...i have become an adult

Walking to the subway today, I came to the sad realization that I might have become an adult. There are several reasons why I think this has happened. This morning, there were two girls, probably high-school aged, walking in front of me. I looked at them and a voice in my head thought.....what foolish girls! They are not wearing heavy enough coats for this weather! Where are their hats? What, no gloves? That one is wearing the right coat...but it's not even zipped up? What is wrong with them? Do they want to get sick? Do they want a head cold? It was at then that I realized that the voice I was hearing was not my mothers. It was mine! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH. That is the cry of my youth as it slips away. Melodramatic? Perhaps. But it is the sad truth. I remember last summer, my partner in crimes in NYC Ellen, Richard and I were having a typical night out. We had seen a movie (surprise!) and then had stopped at Coldstone for some ice cream. We started our trek uptown, and decided to stop somewhere for dinner. I was eating my burger deluxe (usually the cheapest thing on any NYC menu) and just felt sick. When did I become the kind of person that can't have dessert first, and a hamburger isn't always the right thing to eat? The thought of drinking coke in the morning makes me ill. I always look for comfortable shoes. The first thing I do when I get home from work is change into my sweats, my comfy house clothes. I sit and fret about the cat....wondering if she is getting into stuff that she shouldn't. Are these the signs that I am no longer a kid? That I have taken that step over the great divide into adulthood? I guess the only thing to do is to act as immaturely as I can....but somehow, that doesn't seem like the way to go. It's just strange to think that now, not only do I look like a grown-up (sort of), but I kind of feel like one too.

photo credit: http://www.humphrey_es.pac.dodea.edu/winchild.gif