4 posts tagged “bbc rules”

.:What I'm Watching:.

Frida. [Julie Taymor directs this Oscar-winning biopic of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek), focusing on her often rocky relationship with husband Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina). Also known for her controversial political and sexual reputation (she was a communist and a bisexual), Frida struggled with a life of wracking pain following an accident, the amputation of a leg, and finally, drug and alcohol abuse that killed her at age 47. ~netflix] it was pretty good. 3.5 stars. btw, when they say "oscar-winning" they're talking about makeup and original score. it was nominated in some other categories, though. also, i don't know why they won for makeup. was it because they gave salma hayek a unibrow during filming? i don't get it. or maybe they just did something so subtle that i just didn't notice it. meh, whatever. anyway, it won.

Get Smart. [When the identities of secret agents from Control are compromised, the Chief (Alan Arkin) promotes hapless but eager analyst Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) and teams him with stylish, capable Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), the only spy whose cover remains intact. Now, they must work together to thwart the evil plans of KAOS and its crafty operative Siegfried (Terence Stamp). Based on the classic television show, this comedy caper co-stars The Rock. ~netflix] i liked it. thought it was all right. there were a few scenes that could've been cut out, but it had its good moments. i never watched the tv show, so i don't really know how the movie measures up against it... the source material is probably better as it tends to be, but, i thought the casting was well done. 3 stars.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Season 2, Volume 2. [Prince Adam may seem like nothing more than a pampered royal, but when danger threatens, he morphs into powerful superhero He-Man, ready to protect Castle Grayskull from his malevolent nemesis, Skeletor. Join He-Man and his pals Teela (the beautiful captain of the guards), Duncan, Orko and timorous tiger Cringer (who becomes the mighty steed Battlecat when danger lurks), for the final installments of this cartoon classic. ~netflix] finally. the last volume before i get to watch the NEW(er) he-man show. i hope the new one doesn't mess things up. i love the old he-man. 5 stars.

Jodhaa Akbar. [What begins as a strategic alliance between two cultures becomes a genuine opportunity for true love in this epic romance set amid the opulence and glamour of the 16th century and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar agrees to marry the Raja Bharmal's daughter, Jodhaa. But he never expected her stunning beauty, fierce intelligence and considerable charms to inspire him to win her heart. ~netflix] damn. it's an epic, indeed. that's a loooooong ass movie. just the first disc is 2 hours long. the second disc is 1.5 hours long. rai is not nearly as pretty without her green eyes. don't get me wrong, she's still hot. but she's WAY hotter with her green eyes. they're just more striking. the first half is really good and if i were to base my star ratings on the merits of the movie on the first disc, i would've given it 4 stars. the second disc felt rushed. if you're going to make an epic, you should just go for it. don't make it feel like it's being cut short. unrelated: the main character is one of two good looking male actors in india. yeah, i said it.  3 stars.

Love Story 2050. [Karan's (Harman Baweja) mad scientist Uncle Ya (Boman Irani) sends him and his girlfriend, Sana (Priyanka Chopra), to a futuristic Mumbai, complete with flying cars and talking robots, but their love may not survive the trip in this sci-fi Bollywood blockbuster. When the two lovers are separated, Karan must track down Sana and bring her back to the present -- but he's becoming involved with a mysterious woman from the future. ~netflix] it could've been SO AWESOME... i mean, READ THAT SYNOPSIS! LOOK AT THAT MOVIE POSTER!!! total awesomeness, right? ... WRONG. it was not good. 2 stars. btw, this movie stars the other good looking male actor in india. heh.

Mad Hot Ballroom. [Ballroom dancing goes from lame to cool for a group of New York City public school kids in this insightful documentary. The film follows a group of 11-year-olds as they learn to dance old-school styles including the merengue, rumba, tango, foxtrot and swing. Candid interviews capture the kids' initial reluctance at learning ballroom dance and their transformation into serious competitors determined to win a citywide competition. ~netflix] it was mad cute, yo. seriously. those kids ... they're so bright, so smart, so insightful... i honestly wish the best for them. 10 and 11 year olds are smarter than we give them credit for, i think... and DUDE, they can dance! hehe. i wish i knew how to ballroom dance. but not enough to take a class. mostly because i don't think anyone would take one with me. and i'm too chicken to go by myself. 5 stars.

Wonderfalls, The Complete Season. [In a small gift shop adjacent to the magnificent Niagara Falls toils Jaye Tyler (Caroline Dhavernas), a highly intelligent Ivy League grad whose parents have invested all their hopes and dreams in her. Much to their chagrin, all Jaye wants is to work as a clerk at the store, until unexplainable events -- such as lifeless objects speaking to her in secret -- remind her that she may actually be destined for an offbeat kind of greatness. ~netflix] have you heard of this series? is it as little known as i think it is? anyway, we've only watched a couple of eps, but so far, i really like it... i guess i'll reserve final judgement until we've finished all the discs. it only lasted one season, but it's cute. and quirky. also, lee pace is in it. in the first two eps, he's in it for all of 5 minutes. i'm hoping to see more of him. :D hehe. so far, 4 stars.

.:What I'm Listening To:.

TC: Watch the Ride. the first time i listened to his Essential Mix i thought to myself, "hey... this DJ's pretty good." the second time i listened to it, i wasn't so enamored with it. i thought, "hey... this is... just all right." well, after listening to the album, i'm thinking, "hey... this guy's pretty average." 3 stars. he plays something hard and fast and then slows it down with some girly ass shit... like steve said (and i'm paraphrasing), this guy doesn't know what he kind of DJ he wants to be.

Chicane: The Best of Chicane 1996 - 2008. my favorite song is probably Stoned in Love... but mostly because it's got tom jones on the vocals. heh. there's a whooooole lotta cheesy trance on there, but every once in a while, there's a track i like. 3 stars.

.:What I'm Reading:.

Doctor Who: I am a Dalek - Gareth Roberts. [Equipped with space suits, golf clubs and a flag, the Doctor and Rose are planning to live it up, Apollo mission-style, on the Moon. But the TARDIS has other plans, landing them instead in a village on the south coast of England; a picture-postcard sort of place where nothing much happens. Until now... An archaeological dig has turned up a Roman mosaic, circa 70 A.D., depicting mythical scenes, grapes—and a Dalek. A few days later a young woman, rushing for work, is knocked over and killed by a bus, then comes back to life. It's not long before all hell breaks loose, and the Doctor and Rose must use all their courage and cunning against an alien enemy—and a not-quite-alien accomplice—who are intent on destroying humanity. ~barnesandnoble.com] this one features the doctor and rose. it's one of those "quick reads" books... when they say "quick read" they mean it. it's about 100 pages or so in kinduva big font. it takes no longer than 30 minutes to read. good for when you've got a few minutes to kill. i didn't like this one as much as i liked the other quick reads that i've read so far... it's just all right. i do love the doctor, though, so i am probably skewing my rating higher than it needs to be. 4 stars.

.:What Mia's Reading:.

Gray Rabbit's 1, 2, 3 - Alan Baker. [Gray Rabbit finds some clay and makes different kinds of animals, from one wiggly worm to ten scurrying mice. ~barnesandnoble.com] this week mia is obsessed with this book. i am not sure how many times i've read it to her. if it's not this particular book, it's that Percy the Park Keeper book from last week. uffff. WHY DO KIDS LOVE REPETITION?! anyway, alan baker has a bunch of these Little Rabbit books and i think we have quite a few of them. mia really enjoys them. and the art's really cute. mia gives it 5 stars. hehe.

The Octonauts & the Frown Fish - Meomi. [THE OCTONAUTS are a team of undersea explorers in search of adventure and fun! From their base "the Octopod", these eight animals are always ready to embark on new exciting voyages. In their third storybook, the crew meets a fish with a giant frown on his face. He looks so glum, he's causing everyone around him to feel down also. Our heroes need to find a way to cheer him up! The Octonauts try music making, field trips, miniature golf, and even a baking marathon but can they make their new friend smile? ~octonauts.com] i loooove meomi's art. this book is so cute. look for doctor who in this book. :D also, collect the other octonauts books. you won't regret it. :D mia likes it, too! mia gives it 4 stars for now... but i think as she gets older, she'll like it more.

.:What I'm Watching:.

21. [Struggling to come up with tuition for medical school, Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) turns to one of his professors (Kevin Spacey), who trains him and five fellow students to become card-counting experts, with the intent of swindling millions of dollars out of Vegas casinos. The film is based on the nonfiction best-seller Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions. ~netflix] i think i forgot to mention i watched this a few weeks back. oops. i liked it. i gave it 3 stars... but i can't seem to find it on my blog anywhere. weird. i can't really remember any specifics of it now. do you see why i write all my movies and crap down? CUZ I CAN'T REMEMBER SHIT.

The Caterine Tate Show, Series 2. [One-woman laugh machine Catherine Tate takes on all variety of eccentric personalities in this British comedy series. Spewing catchphrases left and right, Tate depicts such colorful characters as argumentative teen Lauren and foulmouthed granny Nan. Other oddballs in Tate's repertoire include xenophobes Janice and Ray and the ambiguously gay Derek Faye. Guest appearances by comedy stars Peter Kay and Jill Halfpenny contribute to the hilarity. ~netflix] i liked this season better than the first. maybe because i was familiar with most of the characters already. it's funny. sometimes i can't even tell that it's her at all. 4 stars.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall. [After his TV star girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), breaks his heart, Peter (Jason Segel) wants nothing more than to enjoy his vacation in Hawaii. One problem: Sarah's vacationing at the same resort he is, and even worse, she's bringing her new beau. Produced by Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, Superbad), this hilarious comedy also stars Mila Kunis, Paul Rudd and Bill Hader. ~neflix] mila kunis was really cute. i always liked her in That 70's Show. but, did they seriously need to color her SO orange? i mean, okay, i get it. she lives in hawaii and she's "tan." but damn. there are a lot of scenes where she's just really, really, really... ORANGE. anyway, i really liked this movie. there were moments where i actually laughed out loud. yes, the main plotline's totally predictable, but it was really funny and cute. jason segel looks like such an OAF next to his two tiny, twee co-stars. which i guess is part of the charm. 4 stars. PS - there's male frontal nudity. and not the good kind. heh.

Leatherheads. [Hard-nosed sports reporter Lexie Littleton (Oscar winner Renée Zellweger) finds herself at the center of an acute 1920s love triangle when an aging football hero (Oscar winner George Clooney) and a rising college star (John Krasinski of "The Office") go head to head to compete for her affections. Clooney also writes and directs this romantic comedy with vintage flair, set at the dawn of professional football history. ~netflix] i love john kraskinski more than i hate renee zellweger, so i had to rent it. i liked it... but i think i would've liked it more if the female lead was someone OTHER than renee. she just annoys me. she had absolutely NO chemistry with either male lead. either beautiful, beautiful male lead... hehe... anyway, the point is, renee sucks. blech. i ended up liking the movie more than i thought i would. 3 stars.

Mad Men, Season 2. [As changes mount within New York advertising agency Sterling Cooper, brilliant executive Don Draper (Jon Hamm) finds that he must work harder at staying ahead of the competition -- which includes the young execs within his own firm who are eyeing his job. Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser and January Jones also star in this Golden Globe-winning drama, which centers on Draper's dealings both inside and outside the agency. ~netflix] i still like it. and it's getting really interesting... 4 stars... i added a star to its first season rating. very worth a watch, but start from the first season.

Merlin, Season 1. [magic is banned in Camelot and Merlin comes to the king's court to work for the King's Physician. Merlin's talents are a secret and somehow he ends up becoming the Prince Arthur's servant. i could explain it more, but i'll probably just make it sound worse than it really is. heh.] it's pretty family-oriented... meaning you could watch this with your parents or kids and not be embarrassed cuz of sex scenes and things like that (what? i'm the only one who gets embarrassed by that? hehe.) you DO have to suspend your belief, though. like, for instance, merlin is approximately the same age as arthur. which is an interesting premise, i suppose. kinda like how Smallville was about a young Superman, this is supposed to be about the young Merlin. i can't really compare the two shows, though, since I've never watched a single episode of Smallville. and i'm really no expert on Merlin... i've only watched the first episode, but i actually like it. also, eve myles makes an appearance. i have a girl-crush on her. 3 stars.

.:What I'm Watching:.

21 Up South Africa: Mandela's Children. [The concept of the Up Series -- documentaries that revisit a group of children every seven years -- is brought to post-apartheid South Africa. Here, filmmaker Angus Gibson interviews 11 young people of various races and backgrounds as they turn 21. The result is an insightful look at how they've changed and the issues they face such as crime, race relations, education and the AIDS epidemic -- which has killed three of the original 14 children. ~netflix] inspired by michael apted's UP series. which is AWESOME, btw... i'm sure you could tell by the description, but it's... really depressing and sad. i am looking forward to the next installation, though. it'd be interesting to see how they are doing at 28. although, i don't know. i feel like it'll take a whole lotta work (or a miracle) for some of these people to get out of the situations they're in. 4 stars.

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Sozin's Comet: The Final Battle. okay. that was a lot of colons in the title. i was just trying to get the full name in there. i guess i could've just taken off the first two parts of the title. anyway, moving on! so, they put the last 4 episodes of Avatar together so that it was a movie... and omg. soooo good. i love this show so much. 5 freaking stars. i'd give it more if i could. i am so sad that it was the series finale. i am really bummed because the upcoming movie in 2010 (i think it's live action?) is directed by m. night shyamamamamalan. i HATE that dude. seriously. HATE HIM. i hope he doesn't totally fuck it up. i'm not holding my breath, though.

Batman. [In Tim Burton's hands, this comic book character taps into his brooding side, and Gotham's underbelly writhes in its vices. Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) starts to make a name for himself as a masked enemy to the criminal set just when the flamboyant Joker (Jack Nicholson) takes over as tops in the mafia. Adding the art-house hues to a big-budget formula meant major success at the box office, an Oscar for Art Direction and a line of sequels. ~netflix] i figured i'd watch it since The Dark Knight is still fresh in my mind... just wanted to compare the two... see how the Jokers compared... i am pretty sure that in 1989 when it came out, this movie was just THE SHIT. i mean, just the best.thing.ever. in 2008, though, it was still good, but wasn't great. i didn't LOVE it. i think in '89, i would've. hehe. i say it's a 4 star movie.

Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks. [The Daleks are about to play a devilish trick on Doctor Who (Peter Davison) and his intrepid band of time-travelers. In the 20th century, on Earth, Davros (leader of the Daleks) is about to reenter the fold of time. And it's not going to be an easy reentry -- he plans on destroying everything in his path in the process, even his own minions! Only the good Doctor can stop Davos's sinister plan. ~netflix] the music totally gives me the chills. love it. and these were really good. sure, the effects are crappy and there is lots of cheese, but i just love it. also, in the 80's, there sure was a lot more death in the show. also, THE DOCTOR PICKED UP A GUN AND FIRED IT AT SOMEONE. that's something david tennant would never do! 4 stars.

Irina Palm. [Desperate for cash to pay for an operation for her ailing grandson Ollie (Corey Burke), 50-year-old Maggie (portrayed by rock legend Marianne Faithfull) finally resorts to prostitution in London's Soho District. Renamed Irina Palm by her new boss, Miki (Miki Manojlovic), she develops a sexual technique that puts her services in high demand in this quirky comedy-drama from Germany. ~netflix] comedy-drama? really? sure, there are some ridiculous aspects, but i wouldn't put "comedy" in the description. it was tolerable. barely. i wouldn't recommend it to anyone. but i did watch and finish it. so 2 stars instead of 1.

The Rutles: All You Need is Cash. [Rock legends George Harrison, Mick Jagger and Paul Simon all make appearances in this satirical "mockumentary" about a rock group suspiciously similar to the Beatles from Monty Python veteran Eric Idle. The spoof chronicles the fictitious band's rise to fame and the making of their hit songs (including "Please Please, Let Me Hold Your Hand" and "I Am the Waitress") and movies (Yellow Submarine Sandwich and A Hard Day's Rut). ~netflix] a crappy mockumentary. 1 star. totally thought it was a waste of my time. actually, i only watched part of it before i got completely bored and turned it off. i'm not even a fan of The Beatles (wha??? i know. heresy. whatever. i like a few songs, but i wouldn't categorize myself as a fan by any means.) ... maybe if i was a fan of The Beatles, i would've enjoyed it more. but i didn't enjoy it. at all. i pretty much hated it.

.:What I'm Listening To:.

Girl Talk: Feed the Animals. and Girl Talk: Unstoppable. i love Girl Talk. best mashups and just so much fun. but i gotta be honest. i'm surprised he hasn't been sued yet for all his remix work. i mean, someone should've sued the pants off of him by now. okay, below is my rant on the DJ duo known as Justice. and below i go on about how i get that they have an eclectic selection of music, blah, blah, blah. so does Girl Talk. but you know, Girl Talk MAKES IT WORK. it sounds awesome and it's seamless and it doesn't seem to try so damn hard. i feel like Justice is just trying to show you how awesome they are, while Greg Gillis just DOES it.

Justice: Essential Mix. this isn't a CD or anything. it's just a mix on bbc radio. i have heard so much about Justice and i never got a chance to actually listen to them. and i have to say that i was wholly unimpressed. i don't get the hype surrounding the duo. they're just not THAT great. i mean, they're just all right. and i was really annoyed by their song selection. i mean, OKAY, I GET IT. YOU HAVE AN ECLECTIC COLLECTION OF MUSIC. but it doesn't mean you have to show off the range of music you've got on the Essential Mix. i don't know what their live shows are like (or even their CD releases) but they seriously messed up the Essential Mix. i've been listening to the Essential Mix for years and it's usually pretty solid with great guest DJs who put out a banging mix. justice pretty much sucks. okay, that's not completely fair to say. i do like a few of their remixes. but their Essential Mix pretty much sucked. also, are they a christian duo? i can't tell. i mean, they always have that enormo-light-up cross at their shows. and i thought their album's name was just the cross symbol. and one of their EPs was called "Waters of Nazareth." i can't figure out if they're trying to be "ironic" or what. (and yes. i put the word ironic in quotes because i'm not using it properly, but you know what i mean!) and now i just feel gross for having spent this much energy and time on this stupid DJ duo. i HATE it when someone/something gets so overhyped that i get let down. boo! [picture stolen from flickr]