Open Letter to Ron Livingston

Bless your heart, Ron Livingston. You just may be the most persistent man in television. It seems you keep showing up in new series each year or so, only to have that series go down in the proverbial flames right before our eyes. And yet, you continue to try again. You find another interesting project [...]

SUNSHINE CLEANING

DVD viewing 
 
When you see as many high-octane, under-developed films as I do, it’s easy to be surprised when a truly great story comes your way. In fact, I am often overwhelmed at the artistry of a well-told film, almost shocked by the fullness of plot and character. The fact that so many of these wonderful [...]

THE THING CALLED LOVE

Most of my favorite films remain so because I am emotionally attached to them. This is the key reason I collect movies, knowing that I will want to revisit them again and again throughout my life in hopes of recapturing the feelings I had on first viewing. I may not watch a film for five [...]

Summer Film Series – Vol. 7, No. 4: JULIE & JULIA

August 8, 2009 at Movies 14, McKinney, Texas 
 
The more I view the work of Meryl Streep, the more I am convinced that she is our greatest living actress. Her talents are undeniable, but in recent years, as she enjoys an unexpected phase of her career, she has become larger than life. She portrays characters with [...]

the legacy of John Hughes

It should come as no surprise that director/writer/producer John Hughes is hugely responsible for my being a pop culture junkie. His biggest films were staples of my teen years, the first movies I saw that seemed to speak to and about my generation. And Hughes introduced me to actors who have remained favorites throughout my [...]

5 + 1 things I love this week

July 19-25, 2009

Online tutorials. I’ve learned more this week about basic Photoshop tasks than I ever did on my own. And having videos at my fingertips to show me step-by-step processes is invaluable. Yay for technology!

This little green avatar that gets randomly assigned on Typepad blogs and the fact that I seem to always get [...]

HIDE

DVD viewing 
 
While standing in a lobby waiting to see Pulp Fiction back in 1994, a friend’s husband said to me, “You actually liked Reservoir Dogs? I’ve never known a girl who liked a Quentin Tarantino film. They usually find them too gruesome.” I simply smiled and said, “I’m not like most girls.” This has been [...]

5 things I love this week

July 12-18, 2009 

Fancy Fast Food. The website tagline says it best: “Yeah, it’s still bad for you, but see how good it can look!” Never before has fast food been so… gourmet!

 

The Philanthropist. This show was a winner with me as soon as I saw its premise: billionaire playboy gets an up-close-and-personal look at the [...]

5 things I love: MLB All-Star Game

1. The crazy awesome beard of St. Louis closer Ryan Franklin. Oh, and his pitching was pretty good, too.

 

2. The return of Josh Hamilton and his continued joy, amazement and gratitude at being where he is in his life.

 

3. President Obama’s visit to the players’ locker rooms and the sheer reverence given him by the [...]

Summer Film Series – Vol. 7, No. 3: PUBLIC ENEMIES

July 5, 2009, at Movies 14 in McKinney, Texas  
At this point I’m a full-fledged fan of both Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, so the idea of both starring in one film — and a gangster film set in my beloved Chicago, no less — really just sealed the deal for me with regard to Public [...]

Summer Film Series – Vol. 7, No. 1: TERMINATOR SALVATION

June 22, 2009 at Movies 14 in McKinney, Texas

You might think I’ve always been a fan of the Terminator films, given my love of sci-fi and action movies, but the truth is that I didn’t actually realize that love until the last decade or so. Before that I enjoyed science fiction like Star Wars and [...]

5 things I love this week

April 12 – 18, 2009
1. Dev Patel in Slumdog Millionaire. He is the very heart and soul of the film and simply remarkable to watch. He is charming and emotive and flawless in his performance, making every movement look effortless. And at the end of the film, in the unexpected celebration scene, he was the [...]

5 things I love this week

April 5 – 11, 2009 
1. this ingenious take on insomnia. 
2. creative birthday parties for adults. This party made me want to redo my own birthday and find a bunch of people to celebrate with me. Why, oh why, does Dallas not have Zipcar? 
 
3. Nathan Fillion on Castle. I’ve been a fan of Fillion’s for [...]

QUANTUM OF SOLACE

DVD viewing 
 
In describing Daniel Craig in this latest 007 offering, I cannot help but remark, “This ain’t your daddy’s Bond.” Which is exactly the reason I’ve come to love the current Bond films — Craig is so very different, so modern in his take on the British agent, and yet he retains the core of [...]

4 things I loved (last) week…

… plus one I absolutely did not!
March 22-28, 2009
1. this backyard patio.

If I was an outside kind of girl, this would be my permanent spot. Alas, I’m not, and so I visit it vicariously. But it looks comfy, no? via desiretoinspire, from Mae Brunken Design  
2. Penelope Garcia on Criminal Minds This character, darling that [...]

5 things I love this week

March 15-21, 2009
1. This listmaker’s dream. There’s no end to the amount of fun I can have on this forum, and I’m so excited to have a super-organized way to keep up with all the ongoing stuff in my head!
 
2. Luke (and his formidable mom, Margie) from The Amazing Race.
Much ado was made at [...]

CADILLAC RECORDS

DVD viewing

My interest in Cadillac Records stemmed from the simple fact that I liked the cast I saw, specifically Adrian Brody, one of my all-time favorites. I knew little about the story and even less about the musicians it chronicled, but these are the kinds of stories I love so I doubted I’d be disappointed. [...]

CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC

February 28, 2009, at Movies 14 in McKinney, Texas

No one describes me as a “chick flick” kind of girl, but I did read the first book in the Confessions of a Shopaholic series and found myself laughing throughout the story. Her woes with credit card debt and persistent phone calls from said debt collectors were [...]

TRAITOR

DVD viewing

In Traitor, Don Cheadle shines, as always, and he made me enjoy the film more than I might have with any other actor in the role. His emotions, so tightly wound, seeped from every pore, but it was Cheadle’s eyes that did all the work for him. The story was compelling, but Cheadle is [...]

What I loved about the 2009 Oscar Ceremony

1. Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. Jackman’s opening bit started strong for me but really hit its mark when he pulled Hathaway to the stage and she stole the scene from him. Her singing voice is much stronger than I realized (who knew she could hit such a pure, high note?), and her true joy [...]