I'm Not Going to Lie...

I saw Hancock Monday night, and I loved it. I was really excited to go see it, although I can't say why. The previews were very vague, but it looked good. I've been disappointed in the past when I go to movies with high expectations, and I try not to. But something about the clip of him lobbing that whale back into the ocean seemed so original that I had to see it.

This movie was so very unexpected. The story, the emotion, the dialogue... all so great. I guess I was expecting comedic action, and instead there was all this character and conflict and feelings. At several points, I wanted to cry. And I was so amazed by Will Smith's acting in this - he was unappealing, unattractive and uncharming. I sincerely disliked him at the beginning of the movie, and then I had sympathy, and then I loved him. (My admiration and amazement for his acting skills may be a result of me catching reruns of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the afternoons, where his acting leaves much to be desired.)

There was a huge plot twist about halfway in (which Martin saw coming - props to him! Even when he called it, I didn't think he was right) and the movie changed dramatically. On some levels, it almost felt like two movies mashed together at that point, and for about 20 minutes I wasn't sure I was going to like the direction the movie had taken. (Ever seen AI? That movie took a weird turn and never recovered. It just got weirder and weirder and weirder. I hate AI for that. Even if it does have Jude Law in it.)

I absolutely loved Jason Bateman's character, Ray Embrey, who was so understated to Hancock's super antics. Their conversations were hilarious but also so revealing about both of them. Their relationship was interesting, original and heartfelt.

Jason Bateman was also in my #1 favorite movie of the past year, Juno. I would have to say, all things considered, that Hancock is my #2 favorite movie.

Which is why I was surprised last night when Noelle said she hated it. So I'm wondering, am I alone in this? Have you seen Hancock or do you plan to? Did you love it? Hate it? Why?

Is It Just Me?

Am I the only one who...

• Can't seem to get those comment verifiers on the first try? You know, it's one of these:
  
  And those aren't even the hard ones with the letters all merged together with an overlaid grid!
  
  
• Uses Google to spell-check? I love the "Did you mean..." feature!
  
  
• Hates any embedded video that doesn't allow you to pause it until it's fully loaded? Nothing ruins a funny video more than pausing every 2.3 seconds for buffering.
  
  
• Uses Wikipedia as a culture guide or to "get the joke"? Anytime I ask myself, "what's the deal with (whatever)?" I just look it up on wikipedia.org. The best and most informative ones so far have been "badger badger badger" and "Flying Spaghetti Monster". The only time it's failed me is when it offered no insight into the crazy Scientology brain of Tom Cruise and his many acronyms.
  
  
• Goes to snopes.com (or other websites that combat spam email and urban legends) to verify what's in a forward BEFORE I send it to 85 of my closest friends? (I know I'm the only one who does a "Reply to All" with the snopes.com entry... but we've got to stop the insanity!)
  
  On a related note, I found this page the other day and will be sending it when appropriate.
  
  
• Is confused, baffled and bothered by the prevalent use of an apostrophe to pluralize a word? (For example: "All entree's come with a side of rice" or "I put my photo's and video's online" and the more common 80's or CD's.) Why do people do this? Can anyone explain?
  
  
• Plays a song 100 times in a row when I love it? For instance, that Michael Bublé video I posted the other day... I played it about 15 times in a row.
  
  
• Doesn't think it's a huge deal when someone sings a 'Christian' song on American Idol? The New Girl was in ecstasy two weeks in a row because someone sang 'This Little Light of Mine' and then 'Shout to the Lord'. Heathens have been singing gospel music for years.
  

Just checkin'.

Side note: check out my newest gig! (Thanks, Terri, for the referral.) Those are my designs. I'm working with a realty photographer to design templates with his photos. Very cool.

Random Thoughts on Music

Once again, it's month end and I'm listening to Pandora. (Terri, there's the link for you.)

I am really starting to love John Mayer's music. So many times I hear a song, check to see who it is, and it's his.

Like Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, In Repair and Gravity,

(I still hate No Such Thing, Waiting on the World to Change and Say.)

Has anyone heard the new Michael Bublé song? So good. Someone has combined two of my favorite things:

Yikes!

Brian posted pictures on his website, and I seriously did a double-take. (This is going to give away how out of touch I am with all the political hoopla that is currently going on...)

Because I thought he was shaking hands with President Logan.

I guess I've never seen a picture of Mike Huckabee before. Apparently, I'm not the only one who sees it. (It's just like the "Tony is evil in Season 7" memo that I missed.)

Oh, well. If Huckabee does make it to the Oval Office, I hope he turns out to be a better president than Charles Logan.

Where's the Hero for Heroes?

I've mentioned it before, but the finale of Season 1 of Heroes almost made me stop watching. There was so much that was great about the show, that I came back for Season 2.

So far, they've made me regret it. I whined a couple weeks ago that I think they hired 6th grade girls to write the scripts, the dialogue was so stupid and the story lines all about mushy, unbelievable romance. Every week, I watch, and I hate it. Martin keeps asking me why I am watching a show I hate.

But I had hope that it would return to its former glory. Come on!

"Save the cheerleader, save the world."

Finally, there is hope:

'Heroes' Creator Apologizes to Fans
...Even more encouraging: Kring himself is keenly aware that Heroes is broken. Here's his candid critique:
...
YOUNG LOVE STINKS Kring regrets sticking Claire (Hayden Panettiere) with a super-dud boyfriend and forcing Hiro to moon over a cutesy princess. ''I've seen more convincing romances on TV,'' he admits. ''In retrospect, I don't think romance is a natural fit for us.''

Read it all...

Feels Like Friday

Today "feels" like Friday and I'm going to be very disappointed tomorrow morning when it's not.

In other news:

• Martin has been the victim of a Nigerian eBay scam. Well, attempted victim. He's smarter than they are! He'll have to tell you all the story.
• Survivor: China premiers in just 22 days! There's a Christian talk-show host and author... who wants to bet she'll be one of the first three to go? Historically, Christians don't fare well on this show, usually because they're weird or pushy or both. With Lost and 24 not coming back until January 08, I'm so glad to have something great to watch!
• We still have a puppy, and he is slowly getting housebroken. He still does not sleep through the night, but we have come up with some alternate solutions (read: he won... he now sleeps in our bedroom, under the bed in his little cave) that have helped our sleeplessness, if not his.
  

Well, back to work.

Have you been watching? I know nothing about dance, but I can tell you how much I enjoy watching the smooth waltz, a little jazz, or even the occasional hip-hop routine. But I do not get contemporary dance. I see it, and I think, what a mess! That was horrible. And the judges go on and on and on about how privileged they are to have been there to have seen such a magnificent dance! As I told Martin last night, "The emperor has no clothes!" It's a load of crap.

Can anyone explain it to me?

I Got Nothing

It's catch-up time from month end at work, and we're short this week because of the holiday. I'd like to post something interesting for my faithful readers, but I've got nothing. Let's just say I'm on summer break and I'll start blogging again when I feel like I've got something to say.

Happy 4th of July to everyone. Don't blow yourselves up!


Anyone else watching So You Think You Can Dance? Shannon was all excited that it was starting up again, so I tuned in, but my DVR only records the results show, which is fine with me, because I don't get it. Perhaps because I have no rhythm and can't dance at all. The hostess with her silly, froopy dresses annoys me, but I do like the ballroom. Modern dance is an enigma to me.

Anyone else love Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and feeling really sad it's been cancelled? I even contacted NBC, but of course, received no reply. What the heck? This is quality television. Definitely in the top 10.

Evan Help Us...

Here's a quickie movie review!

We went to see Evan Almighty last night, the somewhat sequel to one of my favorite movies, Bruce Almighty.

Several people had told me that they heard reviews that it wasn't that funny, but I'm a huge Steve Carrell fan, and so we went.

If I'd read Roger Ebert's review first, I probably wouldn't have bothered.

Eventually we learn why God commanded Evan to build the ark. It's a really stupid explanation. We also get an extended special-effects sequence, with the ark careening through Washington. It's a really dumb, albeit expensive-looking, meshing of stuntwork and CGI. There's also an ongoing bit about Evan doing "the dance," an unfunny little move that would be hokey in a subpar sitcom.

Finally, mercifully, the end credits roll, with behind-the-scenes shots of the cast and crew grooving to "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" by the C+C Music Factory. They all look like they're having a great time.

That's because they haven't seen this movie.

I totally agree with him: when you get to the end, you feel like, "But why?" It's a stupid ending, and although God assures Evan that "I do what I do because I love you," it kind of feels like God's played a joke on Evan. A bad joke.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't go see it. The special effects are cool, and there are some good moments and funny jokes. Kids will love it, and it's pretty kid-friendly (dogs chomp on crotches and a lot of animals spit, but for the most part, it's harmless humor). Wanda Sykes is funny. For that matter, Steve Carrell is funny. The movie, however, is not so funny.

Just don't go expecting Bruce Almighty 2. It's not even close.

Quickie Movie Review

Martin and I rented Night at the Museum a few days ago, and just got to watch it last night.

I LOVED IT!!! It was silly, but not in the juvenile gross-out way a lot of Ben Stiller movies are. Ben Stiller and Robin Williams were wonderful, with funny and warm performances that weren't over the top. Ricky Gervais (director/actor in the original The Office (UK) as well as creator of my favorite The Office (US)) was incoherently brilliant. Owen Wilson was hilarious as the tiny Jedediah.

It's not the most brilliantly crafted story for believability -- it is, after all, about a museum where all the inhabitants come to life at night -- and there are a lot of goofs. But it is highly entertaining and the humor at times is pretty smart.

My favorite scene was with Jedediah and Larry:

Jedediah: I'm gonna shoot you in your dang eye. In your dadgum eye. [gun clicks empty]
Larry: Yeah. Keep shootin'. Nothing's gonna happen.
Jedediah: Now you know my shame. Jedediah's impotent rage. His guns don't fire. Take me away.

As for it being kid-friendly, for the most part it is. I do recall one cuss word, but it was minor.

The Best Darn Show on Television

At one point during the finale I got up and screamed, "I LOVE THIS SHOW!"

If you are not a Lost fan, you need to be. During the summer, rent seasons 1 & 2 and get caught up.

Did you watch it?
I did. Curled up in a ball on the couch. (Had a relapse... ugh.)

Did you vote?
I didn't. I think Jordin will win by a landslide. I was so impressed with Blake's kindness to Jordin at the coin toss and with his mad performance skills, that I really wanted to vote for him. Not because I think he should win, but because I like him so much.

But then I thought, if I vote for Blake, and for some weird reason he actually wins, I'm going to feel guilty and wonder if it was my 1 (or 5) vote(s) that could have made the difference. How silly is that?

I think Jordin will win. Rightfully so. And I'll very likely buy her album, whether she goes country or pop, or both. But not rock.

Any thoughts on the show?
I loved Blake's first number, even though he ruined that song with all his crazy manipulations. He should have redone Time of the Season instead. His version was better than the original.

I was a little tired of the sweater vest/untucked shirt by the third song, though. Really.

I love Jordin. I don't think she did Christina Aguilera's Fighter as well as the original, but she showed she's versatile.

How much did that last song suck? That was the winner of the songwriter contest? What kind of musical garbage must the losers have been? (Note: check them out here. I think This is My Now is definitely in the bottom two. I think You Never Gave Up on Me is the winner by far. What do you think?)

If I recall correctly (I didn't watch Seasons 3 or 4)...
Season 1: Kelly vs. Justin -- both had to sing A Moment Like This. It clearly showed that Kelly should win... Justin's version was weak.
Season 2: Ruben vs. Clay -- got to choose their own finales
Season 3: Fantasia vs. Diana -- ?
Season 4: Carrie vs. Bo -- ?
Season 5: Taylor vs. Katharine -- did not have to sing the same song, but both had cheesy songs written for them. (Do I Make You Proud?, the worst song ever, until Season 6's This is My Now.)

I think it's definitely a good test to make both finalists sing the same song, if it's a style of song that both can sing. I think the lameness of This is My Now was unfair to Blake... he doesn't sing sentimental, whiney songs like that. I think he and Jordin could have put their own spin on You Never Gave Up On Me or even In Your Eyes. But he could have, should have, done better, considering how Jordin knocked that ball of doodie out of the park.

Is it worth it to watch the 2-hour finale?
I know Jordin will win. Are you going to watch? I'll definitely DVR it, but it's unlikely I'll do more than fast-forward to the end.

What the Finale?

Seriously. What is with the show finales this season?
***SPOILER ALERT: If you DVR your favorite shows and haven't yet seen your finale of choice, don't read on!***

The Office: was fantastic. Michael never fails to deliver hilariously uncomfortable situations. If you are not watching this show, you need to start. That last-second scene with Jim & Pam rocked! However, if Ryan gets the job in NY... does that mean Karen's back in Scranton to screw up the Jim/Pam reunion? I hope not!

Grey's Anatomy: at least it was a decent, believable story, even if it did blow up everything that we know and love about our friends at Seattle Grace. But so depressing... is there any hope?

Desperate Housewives: actually, not a bad episode overall. What is up with Edie killing herself at the end? Unless she just wants off the show, that was a real waste.

Brothers & Sisters: I felt manipulated most of the time. The stuff with Justin was OK, but I felt like it was anti-war propaganda. What happened to Rebecca telling Sarah that she hit on Joe? And how stupid to have them all jump in the pool at the end. It was unbelievable and corny.

Heroes: seriously, this finale is enough to make me stop watching the show. Why is it Sylar's super hearing only works when he's eavesdropping? What was with Claire's resistance to killing Peter? He's indestructible like she is!!! So why did Nathan sacrifice himself? And is D.L. dying or not? Don't be half dead one second and then just fine the next. Why was everyone just standing around, looking at Peter? Get out of New York or HELP! And how is it Sylar slithered away to the sewers? Was no one watching to make sure he was dead? And finally, why is Hiro scared that he's on the battlefield in Kyoto? Just teleport out! It's like everyone forgets they have powers until it's necessary to the plot for them to use them. They're not party tricks: they're survival skills! I think Martin's right: this is a stupid show.

24: We don't watch to see Jack's wounded, emotional side. Be a man! You just bit a guy's jugular vein 11 hours ago. Get over your comatose girlfriend and her toothsome father. We don't care if you're sad, Jack. Kill somebody! Save the world! We know you have a plan. You have a plan, right? What kind of ending was that?

Hopefully tonight's big American Idol finale will not disappoint. And then, the finale of Lost tomorrow night is going to be great. It had better be great.

Sick

Sorry I've been less than bloggerful this week. I got some kind of bug on Sunday and it's been haunting me all week.

Finally went to the doctor yesterday, and heard these reassuring words: "I don't know."

Yeah, that was my diagnosis. Where's Dr. House when you need him?

Just kidding. My doc was great. He said he didn't know what I have, but I was the sixth person to come in this week with the same symptoms. He said that he's followed up with two of them, and they're better, so I won't die.

Rx: Two Prilosec a day and plenty of yogurt.

My Top 10 Favorite Jacks

10. Jack Sommersby (Sommersby)
9. Jack Ryan (from the movies based on Tom Clancy's novels: played by Ben Affleck in The Sum of All Fears, Harrison Ford in Clear & Present Danger and Patriot Games, and Alec Baldwin in The Hunt for Red October)
8. Jack Callaghan (While You Were Sleeping)
7. Jack Deveraux (Days of Our Lives)
6. Jack Taylor (One Fine Day)
5. Jack Dawson (Titanic)
4. Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean, etc.)
3. Jack Traven (Speed)
2. Jack Shephard (Lost)
1. Jack Bauer (24)

Who's your favorite Jack?

Latin American Idol

Some impressions from last night's performances (in no particular order):

• Melinda is not sexy, and if she makes that "who, me?" face one more time, I'm going to hurl.
• Lakisha, honey, put those away! And does anyone else see the back fat jiggling out of her dress? Augh, my eyes!!!
  
• Haley's hot. Wish I had those legs.
• I hate Gloria Estefan's music. How could I have not noticed this years ago?
• Chris did OK, but he's no Rob Thomas.
• Phil is my favorite performance of the night. Hate the hat, though. Did they not have one in his size?
  
• Simon Cow, ha, ha!
  
• I love Jordin, but I hate that song.
• Blake, why? I hate that song!
• Apparently, I hate all Latin music. But I don't! Someone should have sung some Luis Miguel or Julio Iglesias. Now that's good music!
• OMG, I almost voted for Sanjaya! It's the end of the world as we know it.
  

At the Movies... For Rachel

My lovely friend Rachel asked if I'd done any movie reviews lately. As I haven't done much of any kind of blogging lately, I thought I'd do a quick catch-up on the movies I've seen recently.

Friday night, we celebrated Pastor's Wife Appreciation Week (I'm not sure it's a widely observed holiday), with dinner out and a movie and dessert at my house. The movie was The Holiday, which I had seen in the theatre with Martin. Watching it again was a delight. Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz and Jude Law, among others, are four people hurt by love in this touching romantic comedy. You have to get over Cameron Diaz's performance in the beginning, but once she gets to England she gets believable. Jude Law is decidedly delicious in this role, as he is in almost every role he's ever played, except himself in real life. I love the transformation of Iris (Kate Winslet) from a cad's doormat to leading lady. There are some Mr. Holland's Opus-like moments, as well as some real surprises. Having seen it twice now, I have to say it's one I'll see again and again.

Last Sunday, Pay It Forward was on TV. Seriously, I watched it and cried for almost the entire 2 hours. It is such a great, life-changing movie. Haley Joel Osment is was such a talented kid (he's a somewhat odd-looking adolescent now, but still talented). Helen Hunt gives a fantastic portrait as a flawed, alcoholic single mother. Kevin Spacey and James Caviezel both powerfully portray damaged people. The beautiful strength of this movie is showing how flawed, damaged people can help each other and make the world a better place. If you've never seen this movie, you need to rent it today. If you have seen it already, watch it again. It's that great.

The last movie I saw in the theater was Amazing Grace. To be honest, I hated it. The movie was well made, with great sets, wonderful costumes and talented cast. Even though the hint of romance picked up the plot a bit, the entire movie plodded along so slowly I was physically restless in my seat. The British politics with men in wigs and tights were hard to understand. However, I also hated The Passion of the Christ, so you have to take my opinion for what it is. My parents enjoyed it (which is the reason I even went to see it), and said it showed the long road it took to get slavery abolished in England, and how with persistence, you can reach any goal. Did anyone else see this and really enjoy it?

For previous reviews, check out:
9/11/06 Monday Thursday Movie Roundup
7/31/06 Movie Review Part III
7/12/06 Movie Review
6/29/06 At The Movies

And Rachel, I'll call you back -- it's just that we're 3 hours earlier than you!

Sanjaya Must Go

After yesterday's "Deep Thoughts", I thought I would take a dip in the shallow end.

Did anyone see last night's American Idol? If you missed Sanjaya's horrific rendition of the Kinks' "You Really Got Me", you have to watch it. The little girl weeping is hilarious, not to mention his manic performance. If this doesn't get him voted off, I'm seriously considering not watching any more.

My favorite comment on last night's show was Simon's "The little girl's face says it all." My favorite comment about the show was from Kevin here at work, who said, "You can't sing a song about how much a girl has got you going when I'm not convinced you like girls at all."

Jordin Sparks was phenomenal. I can't decide between Jordin, Gina Glocksen (who rocks!) or Blake Lewis, who I love for reasons I don't even understand.

Can't wait to see the results tonight. I am such an AI Junkie!

In both senses... I've been lost to the blogging world the last few weeks, and I am excited about the return of Lost.

This Wednesday, Lost returns with 16 new episodes! Although the weak have lost heart (Martin), the true believers are elated.

As for blogging, I have been busy at work training the new girl (the third generation of "new girl", for those of you who are keeping track), and it means I've had no down time at work. I promise, in a few weeks, I'll be back to my normal blogging self.

10. Laying flat on my back on a heating pad for three days... I think the pain is stress related, because I don't recall lifting anything heavy.

9. Working, working, working at work. Mostly catching up on filing and getting ready for another new girl. (Thanks, Cristin, for helping me out!)

8. Finally getting my windshield replaced. I've had a crack in it for 14 months! It is now a shiny sore thumb on my filthy car. Maybe once it stops raining, I'll clean my car up to match.

7. Watching a marathon of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip on Bravo. Matthew Perry is fantastic, and Amanda Peet, who I usually hate, is wonderful. It's on my DVR lineup now.

6. Making travel plans, rentals, purchases, schedules, etc. for the National Religious Broadcasters convention in Orlando. This is my least favorite part of what we do. I enjoy going to the NRB, but I hate all the work that goes into getting there. My boss keeps saying every year that this is the last year we exhibit... I hope he means it!!!

5. Checking out the brilliance on indexed. (Thanks, Matt, for the link! I love it!) This one is my favorite! >>>

4. Designing the graphics for our booth at the NRB. You can take a peek at them here.

3. Trying to get our January budget caught up with reality. I always procrastinate things I think are going to be complicated. It didn't help that the files were on my flash drive, which Martin left at Noelle's house for a couple weeks.

2. Wishing Martin were home to keep me warm! He's in Michigan with Brad and Wes at Rob Bell's Isn't She Beautiful conference. I can't believe how cold it's been here! Thank God we have heat now.

1. Waiting for the return of Lost. Oh, Jack, where art thou?