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.
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.
.: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.
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.
.: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.
.:What I'm Listening To:.
Ashes to Ashes. [after being shot, alex drake wakes to find herself in 1981.] okay. that's my short ass synopsis. hehe. have you watched Life on Mars? it's basically the same thing, but instead of being stuck in the 70s, she's stuck in the 80s. anyway, it might sound weird or hokey, but it's really good. she's actually better than sam (who was in Life on Mars). i love the chemistry between gene hunt and alex drake. i love keeley hawes. i loved her in MI-5 and i love her in this show, too. bbc has the best shows ever! :D
The Business of Being Born. [Director Abby Epstein's controversial documentary takes a hard look at America's maternity care system, juxtaposing hospital deliveries against the growing popularity of at-home, natural childbirths that many expectant parents are now opting for. Former talk show host Ricki Lake was inspired to produce this compelling exposé after a dissatisfying birthing experience with her first child left her with many unanswered questions. ~netflix] gosh, every time i saw a baby being born, my eyes watered. stupid motherhood! makes me all emotional. heh. believe it or not, i didn't even cry when my OWN child was born. sheesh. anyway, i think it's important for any woman to watch, whether she's had a child or is thinking of having a child... maybe even watch it as a couple if you are expecting a child... actually, even if you think you're not going to have children, you may change your mind when you're older, so maybe keep it in mind for when you actually DO become pregnant. anyway, i thought it was really interesting... and if god forbid i should become pregnant again, i might actually look into getting a midwife instead of going to the hospital. it sounds so granola, but i actually might... although, i sure did love that epidural... hehe.
Darkon. [Ordinary folks trade in their street clothes for medieval costumes, faux weaponry and full-contact battles in Andrew Neel and Luke Meyer's documentary about Darkon, a group that acts out fantasy war games based on complex rules and customs. Neel and Meyer capture the drama as padded swords clash, armies advance and a ruler crosses the line, while off the battlefield, participants open up about what keeps them coming back for more. ~netflix] if these people put in half as much energy into something worthwhile as they do into darkon, they could seriously make some big changes in their community. okay, to be fair, to them darkon IS worthwhile... but i was talking about social changes, etc. it was really fascinating. it was like World of Warcraft, but not playing behind a computer screen. it was people playing it out in real life.
Fall From Grace. [For years, the Rev. Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church have preached a message of intolerance and hatred, aimed at homosexuals. This compelling documentary shines a spotlight on Phelps and his followers, widely condemned as a hate group. K. Ryan Jones's debut takes a hard look a church that claims that everything from the poor economy to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks can be tied to God's wrath over so-called sexual deviance. ~netflix] wow. it was really hard to watch such hate and anger. the documentary itself was really good. but the phelps family... my god. they are SO the opposite of what christians should be... in my opinion, anyway... or who knows. maybe they are on the fast track to heaven and every other pastor and church that have compassion and love are all going to hell. who knows...
Family Guy: Blue Harvest. [A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, the cast of "Family Guy" stepped into the plot of Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope -- and the result is this hourlong epic that kicked off the show's sixth season. When Princess Leia (Lois) is captured by Darth Vader (Stewie), Luke (Chris) risks his life to save her. Aiding him on his quest are Chewbacca (Brian), a well-spoken Wookiee, and Han Solo (Peter), a bumbling spice smuggler. ~netflix] i don't watch family guy because, well, i'll be honest... i think it totally blows. but this was pretty funny.
- Girls Rock! [This documentary gives new meaning to the phrase "girls rock" by tracking four budding artists on their respective musical journeys at an all-girls rock 'n' roll camp, where they learn how to write songs, play instruments and to just be themselves. Women rock musicians are on hand to teach the girls the practicalities of being a rock chick, lessons they take to heart while working toward their end-of-camp concert. ~netflix] while the documentary itself wasn't that great, i thought it was really interesting to see the girls morph from insecure girls to powerful ones. really. also, the idea of an all-girls rock camp is awesome. i want mia to go. hehe. it's pretty amazing to see what these girls come up with in 5 days. some of these girls have never even picked up an instrument before and they're totally rocking out. it's pretty effin' cool. also, there's one korean girl from like, oklahoma or something. and at the time this documentary was made, she was 15. she is amazingly articulate. i was surprised. she seemed so down to earth and cool... and when you first see her you don't think of her as being conventionally cute, but by the end of the film, she is just absolutely darling.
The Life of Mammals, Volume 1. [Naturalist David Attenborough hosts this fascinating documentary about the earth's most diverse species, from the tiny pygmy shrew to the gargantuan blue whale. Humans -- who are mammals, of course -- also come under scrutiny in this series, which may be Attenborough's finest. ~netflix] oh, i really like this series. it's not as good as the Planet Earth series, but it's still fascinating to watch.
- Things We Lost in the Fire. [Attempting to piece her life back together after losing her husband (David Duchovny) in a tragic incident, grieving widow Audrey (Halle Berry) turns to an unlikely ally: her husband's childhood friend Jerry (Benicio Del Toro), an emotionally wrecked heroin addict. As the troubled two struggle to bear their heavy respective burdens, by leaning on each other, they discover they possess unexpected resources in this moving drama. ~netflix] pretty bad. i was expecting bad but hoping for the best. guess i shouldn't have hoped. it was totally cheesy and unrealistic. it was melodrama at its finest. by finest, of course, i mean worst. and dude, is it me or... does halle berry not know how to act? seriously. for some reason, i have it in my head that she is a good actress, but every time i get a movie with her in it, i want to claw my eyes out. or beat her head in. either option would work for me. benicio del toro is, of course, awesome. and he is just THAT much more awesome because he's acting alongside berry. and berry is awful. ugh.
.:What Mia's Watching:.
The Backyardigans: Tale of the Mighty Knights. mia loves this one already. we just got it in the mail yesterday and we let her watch the first episode (which is Tale of the Might Knights) and OMG she was going nuts for it! she really liked the dragon... she kept reaching out for him, wanting to hug him. hehe. silly girl.
Oswald: On-the-Go Oswald. [Nickelodeon's animated children's series about a blue octopus, his pet dog Weenie and his friends Henry the penguin and Daisy the flower is gentle fun for toddlers. This video contains the episodes "Daisy and the Duckling," "The Double Date," "Chasing the Ice Cream Truck," "The Camping Trip," "Henry Needs a Haircut," "Flippy the Fish," "A Sticky Situation" and "Tutti-Frutti Pie." ~netflix] i kinda like it. i wasn't so fond of it after the first episode, but it's growing on me. it's definitely for toddlers... i don't think anyone over the age of 5 would really enjoy it. well, i did, but you know. i am like a kid, so there you have it. hehe.
Rupert the Bear: Rupert and the Giant Egg Race. this isn't the old cartoon. this is all new in all its CGI brilliance. it's SO cute. unfortunately, it's not available in the US. and you have to have either a region free dvd player or a dvd decrypter of some sort in order to watch it. anyway, it's a really cute show. i don't know why they don't have it here in the US. you only need to hear the theme song once to get it stuck in your head for days. hehe.
.:What I'm Listening To:
Ella Fitzgerald: Sunshine of Your Love. while not my favorite album of hers, it certainly was interesting. basically covering tunes you would never expect her to cover. her voice sure was lovely, though.
.:What I'm Playing:.
Professor Layton and the Curious Village. [DS] i pretty much kicked this game's ass! hehe. it was so much fun and i'm really looking forward to the 2nd and 3rd installments.
Cooking Mama 2. [DS] i preferred the food they had in the first cooking mama. they were just more... i dunno... normal foods... and i actually picked up some cooking tips from them! this one has shit i'd never make. like escargot. i mean, come on. honestly? i will NEVER make it. i know i won't. hehe. it's still lots of fun. there are more options to the gameplay, also.