I like movies, but my husband is quite the maven – one of those people who grew up watching The Late Late Show. Occasionally, he is surprised – and at other times dumbfounded – by the gaps in my cinematic experience. Now, there are some movies I’ve never seen because I just don’t want to – and perhaps I am close-minded about it (or so he says), but great car chase scene notwithstanding, I really […]
Tag: pop culture: movies
Traffic complaint of the week
I had the day off from work on Monday for President’s Day – and if I had any sense, I would have asked for the next week and a half off too. Unfortunately, we have auditors coming in next week so the request would have been denied. In any case, I thought I’d share what’s going on in my office’s neighborhood for the next several days, just so you might give me a little sympathy. […]
Books, movies, and babies – a convergence
Last weekend was about babies, in one way or another. Baby Proof Emily GiffinSt. Martin’s Griffin (paperback) 2007 (ISBN 0312348657)Fiction, 368 pages First sentence: I never wanted to be a mother. Book description: First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes….a baby carriage? Isn’t that what all women want? Not so for Claudia Parr. And just as she gives up on finding a man who feels the same way, she meets warm, wonderful Ben. Things […]
iPod Random Ten 11-9-07
Happy Friday! A little morning music to get things started, featuring: “Waiting on the World to Change,” John Mayer, Continuum“Bad Medicine,” Bon Jovi, New Jersey“Radio, Radio,” Elvis Costello & The Attractions, The Very Best of Elvis Costello & The Attractions“Substitute,” The Who, Hail Brittania: The British Invasion 1964-1968“Another Postcard,” Barenaked Ladies, Everything Acoustic“It’s The End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” R.E.M., In Time – Best of R.E.M. “Back to […]
Warning! Dangerous ideas ahead!
A well-meaning friend forwarded this to me, and a list of other people, via e-mail last week, with the subject line “Warning – A MUST NOT SEE Movie!”: The Golden Compass, a new movie starring Nicole Kidman and due to be released in December, is based on one of an evil trilogy of books written by atheist, Philip Pullman, who acknowledges that his books are about killing God. Don’t be fooled by either the fantasy […]
Did anyone see this coming (out)?
Originally posted 10/29 – please see update/link added below The news has spread throughout both the wizarding and Muggle worlds by now: In an author talk/reading/booksigning event at Carnegie Hall on October 19, the true Headmistress of Hogwarts “outed” Albus Dumbledore as gay. J.K. Rowling revealed this little detail in response to an audience member’s question about the great wizard’s love life. She also mentioned that the makers of the Harry Potter movies are aware […]
Movie talk: “Michael Clayton”
Michael Clayton wasn’t even on my movie radar until I started reading terrific reviews of it a couple of weeks ago. Granted, it’s a hard movie to sum up in a trailer, so I hadn’t seen it hyped very much. George Clooney (recommendation right there, folks!) plays the title character, and he’s given a lot of dimensions to work with. He’s an attorney whose main function is behind-the-scenes “fixing” of incidents for his firm and […]
Coming soon to a theater near you!
Tall Paul sent me this link yesterday with the note “He will be in your neighborhood!” I’ll explain that in just a second. BEVERLY HILLS, California (AP) — Jon Stewart will return as host of the Oscars in 2008. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced Wednesday that Jon Stewart will host the 80th awards show February 24 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Oscar telecast producer Gil Cates described Stewart as smart, […]
Seen this weekend: “Hairspray”
At the risk of sounding like a bad blurb in an ad, Hairspray may be the most fun we’ve had at the movies this year. I grew up with a weakness for musicals, and while Hairspray comes up short on what I consider one of the big qualifications for a classic of the genre – songs that can stand apart from the narrative – it’s still a fine example of why the form never quite […]
Seen this weekend: “The Bourne Ultimatum”
A couple of caveats if you’re considering seeing The Bourne Ultimatum: This is another one of this summer’s many “threequels” (I read that very useful term somewhere, but can’t place the source). If you haven’t seen the preceding two movies, you’ll probably be very confused – and since this one does take some time to sort out early on, it’s advisable to know the backstory. If you can, watch the second film, The Bourne Supremacy, […]
Seen this weekend: “The Simpsons Movie”
There was a slight question about whether we’d see The Simpsons Movie during its opening weekend or wait a week; the kids were with us this weekend, and we had to make sure the PG-13 rating wasn’t too much for a 7-year-old. The 7-year-old’s 23-year-old stepbrother saw it on Saturday night and gave us a heads-up on some profanity and one instance of cartoon nudity, and we were not deterred. We figure the TV show […]
Seen this weekend: “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”
This weekend was a Harry Potter extravaganza at our house. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was delivered to our door around 1 PM on Saturday (2 copies – one for Tall Paul, one for me, and we both finished on Sunday night – book post to come!), and we took a break from our reading on Sunday morning to go and see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. OotP is my favorite […]
