55 posts tagged “music”

.:What I'm Watching:.

Encounters at the End of the World. [Celebrated documentary filmmaker Werner Herzog takes you on a wild and woolly journey to the South Pole, from the National Science Foundation's headquarters on Ross Island to some of Antarctica's most remote and dangerous terrain. With a keen eye for the wonders and sometimes hilarious peculiarities of this icy land's animal and human inhabitants, Herzog offers an astounding look at the world's most inhospitable landscape. ~netflix] interesting. the underwater stuff is really fascinating. it feels like it's a different world... and the people are fascinating in that, oh-my-god-what-a-bunch-of-freaks sorta way. 4 stars. read steve's review for more info.

Futurama: Bender's Game. [Matt Groening's Emmy Award-winning sitcom blasts into the realm of feature film in this animated adventure that traps the Planet Express crew in a fantastical world where anything can happen -- and does. Billy West is back as the voice of hapless pizza delivery boy Philip J. Fry, with John DiMaggio and Katey Sagal reprising their roles as Bender the potty-talking robot and Cycloptic captain Turanga Leela. Rich Little and George Takei guest star. ~netflix] shit gets even crazier than usual in this one and i love it. the extras are funny, too. especially when they're talking about D&D. i never played, but i can definitely relate. hehe. 5 stars.

Hancock. [Will Smith stars as Hancock, a down-and-out superhero forced to employ a PR expert, Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), to help repair his image when the public grows weary of all the damage he has inflicted during his life-saving heroics. Ray's idea of imprisoning the antihero to make the world miss him proves successful, but will Hancock stick to his new sense of purpose or slip back into old habits? Charlize Theron co-stars in Peter Berg's action comedy. ~netflix] it was better than i thought it would be. i was expecting absolutely nothing, so i guess that's not really saying much. heh. i love jason bateman. anytime i get to see him on screen, it makes me happy. 3 stars.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army. [The identities of Hellboy (Ron Perlman), Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) and Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) are exposed as they face a new threat: The Golden Army, assembled of long-hidden mythological creatures, is prepared to attack. As fantastic monsters and paranormal phenomena begin to take over, the trio races to destroy the army's leader, the vengeful Prince Nuada (Luke Goss). John Alexander co-stars in Guillermo del Toro's spellbinding sequel. ~netflix] i really liked it. apparently, a lot of nerds didn't like it. but i did. 4 stars.

His Girl Friday. [Cary Grant is an ultrasophisticated alpha male: Swaggering, cocky and ready for anything, he's alternately irresistible and infuriating to women. As a fast-talking newspaper publisher determined to win back his ex-wife (Rosalind Russell) from her new fiancé, Grant's comedic gifts are allowed free rein -- and Russell matches every bon mot. The dialogue crackles like thin ice on a frozen lake. ~netflix] it was all right. not one of my favorite classics, but not bad. and dude, where DOES she get those fabulous hats? hehe. 3 stars.

Planet B-Boy. [This Tribeca Film Festival selection affords viewers exclusive access to the underground world of break dancing, charting the highs and lows of five B-boy teams practicing for the all-important "Battle of the Year." Combining stunning dance footage from Japan, Germany, South Korea, France and the United States, documentarian Benson Lee sets out to show that break dancing didn't fade into history -- it merely evolved into a remarkable art form. ~netflix] not only is the subject matter fascinating, but the documentary itself is very well done. even though i could've looked up the winner, i didn't so i could really get into it. and i totally did. i was so tense by the end of the documentary. heh. so awesome. 5 stars.

Reno 911, Season 2. [Picking up where they left off, Thomas Lennon, Kerri Kenney, Ben Garant and the rest of the comic cast return for more tomfoolery as ham-fisted cops trying to safeguard the town. The sophomore season, which includes 16 hysterical installments, features guest appearances by Danny DeVito and singer Kenny Rogers. Among the bonus material are an Aspen Comedy Festival featurette and a host of deleted scenes and outtakes. ~netflix] this show cracks me up. i don't know what it is about this show, but it ALWAYS makes me laugh. 4 stars.

Step Brothers. [Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) and Dale Doback (John C. Reilly) -- two grown men still living at home -- turn into jealous, competitive stepbrothers when their single parents marry in this Judd Apatow-produced comedy. Brennan's constant competition with Dale strains his mom's (Mary Steenburgen) marriage to Dale's dad (Richard Jenkins). Will the reluctant stepsiblings ever see eye to eye? And more importantly, will they ever leave the nest? ~netflix] there are some funny ass lines in there. way funnier than talladega nights. but it's totally bottom of the barrel humor, so you have to be in the mood for it. 3 stars.

Transsiberian. [An American couple (Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer) seeking to smooth out their rough marriage buys a ticket on the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway. But a chance meeting with two other passengers ends in an accidental murder and high intrigue. Ben Kingsley and Thomas Kretschmann co-star as two Russian police officers trying to solve the baffling case in Brad Anderson's taut and gritty thriller. ~netflix] pretty exciting thriller. i was surprised at how tense i was throughout the movie. also, i'm never going to that part of the world. ever. hehe. 4 stars.

Tropic Thunder. [Drawing inspiration from films like Apocalypse Now and Platoon, this war movie send-up from director and star Ben Stiller follows a group of dimwitted actors forced to become real-life soldiers when they're abandoned in the jungles of Southeast Asia. Stiller leads an all-star cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey and Nick Nolte, with Tom Cruise in an unforgettable role as a rude, crude movie mogul. ~netflix] i don't know why everyone hated this movie. it was kinda funny. the "trailers" were effin' HILARIOUS. and robert downey jr was awesome, as well. i dug it. 3 stars.

Wall-E. [In a futuristic world, human beings have destroyed Earth and evacuated the planet, leaving the cleanup to an army of robots they've programmed to do their dirty work. Due to a mishap, the dutiful WALL-E is the only one left. But with the arrival of a female probe named EVE, the monotony of WALL-E's existence is broken -- and he experiences love for the first time. Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo) directs this Pixar tale with a sci-fi twist. ~netflix] so cute! i really enjoyed it. just goes to show you that even robots need love. hehe. charming and sweet, yet this movie has so many different elements... robots, sci-fi, post-apocalpyse schtuff, and it's even a love story. but somehow they just really made it work on so many levels. 4.5 stars.

.:What Mia's Watching:.

The Year Without Santa Claus. [This Christmas, visions of sitting by the fireside dance in Santa's head. Tired of a world where children have lost the Christmas spirit, Santa decides to sit out the Yuletide. Can Mrs. Claus and the elves convince Santa to load up his sleigh? Produced and directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. (Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer), The Year Without Santa Claus is fun for the whole family. ~netflix] i love the Snow Miser and the Heat Miser. hehe. and mia really enjoyed it. she's really getting into the stop motion animation. my daughter's the coolest. :D hehe. 4 stars.

.:What I'm Listening To:.

Violence Recordings: Salvation. calyx, teebee, and hive. some of the tracks i loved, some were just all right. but it's a pretty solid album. 3.5 stars.

Q-Tip: The Renaissance. i thought it was really good. i'm not a hip-hop guru or anything, but i do like good music. 4 stars.

Rockabye Baby: Radiohead. it's pretty awesome. it's quite relaxing. and it's never too early to expose your child to Radiohead. hehe. 4.5 stars.

Stanton Warriors: Stanton Sessions, Vol. 3. i love me some stanton warriors. this album is thoroughly enjoyable with just a couple of moments that didn't quite work... as a whole, though, great album. 4 stars.

.:What I'm Reading:.

Burma Chronicles - Guy DeLisle. i love reading Guy's travelogues. (you like how i'm on a first name basis with him? heh.) i thought Pyongyang was a little better, but this was still a very interesting read. 4 stars.

.:What I'm Playing:.

Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures. [Xbox 360] i love these lego games. they're SO much fun! steve and i play co-op on them and we kick ass. hehe. i would recommend these games to ANYONE. can't wait to get Lego Batman. when we played Lego Star Wars, we played on the Playstation... and let me tell you, it looks WAY better on the xbox. there was one glitch with the co-op mode, but it wasn't so bad.

.: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:.

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Complete Book Three Collection. [As the third season of this Emmy-winning animated series unfolds, Aang wakes up to two significant surprises: The first is that he's trapped aboard an enemy ship of the Fire Nation, and the second is that he has a full head of thick, black hair. Meanwhile, as Aang's fellow prisoners Katara, Sokka and Hakoda explain the series of events that brought them to their current circumstances, Prince Zuko journeys home to face his father. ~netflix] seriously, if you haven't watched this, you're totally missing out. one of the best shows EVER. 5 stars! read what steve has to say here.

HBO Presents One Night Stand: Flight of the Conchords. omg. seriously. i LOVE bret and jemaine. i love their music and their songs and i laugh and laugh and laugh. they did an acoustic version of the hiphopotamus vs. the rhymenocerous... best evah! 5 stars.

Red Cliff. [When a warmongering prime minister (Fengyi Zhang) advances his armies against two rival kingdoms, he unwittingly prompts his adversaries (Chen Chang and Yong You) to work together in this martial arts action-adventure. The ensuing conflict culminates in the epic battle of Red Cliff, a struggle by the sea involving more than 1 million soldiers. Director John Woo's big-budget spectacle is based on the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. ~netflix] what a disappointment. why did all the hot dudes look NOT hot? and why was it so visually stunted. and why so much talking and not enough fighting?! 3 stars, i guess...

Reprise. [Close friends Erik and Phillip (Espen Klouman-Høiner and Anders Danielsen Lie) each await news on their first novel. Only Phillip's is published. Thinking he's made it big, he's unprepared for fame and the obsessions and temptations it will bring. He emerges from a nervous breakdown to discover that Erik has found literary success of his own. This brash look at art, success, redemption and failure is the debut film of director Joachim Trier. ~netflix] it's better than the synopsis makes it sound. obviously, the stars are erik and phillip... phillip's girlfriend, kari is important to the plot, but mostly everyone else is just background. if you don't believe me, take steve's word for it. 4 stars.

Shinobi: Heart Under Blade. [It's X-Men meets Romeo and Juliet in Ten Shimoyama's ninja action thriller. Gennosuke (Joe Odagiri), from the Koga ninja clan, falls in love with Oboro (Yukie Nakama), from the rival Iga clan. The tribes are already exiled to the mountains, but the evil Shogun is intent on eliminating them. He pits the clans against each other in a duel to the death, where the ninjas wield their supernatural powers. But will inbred hate snuff out forbidden love? ~netflix] THIS is what we should've watched for movie night. and it really is kinda like x-men meets romeo and juliet. sounds weird, sure, but it's really good. i liked it a lot. a few of the effects weren't that well done, but some of them were SO FRICKING SWEET. 4 stars.

Smart People. [An unexpected romance with a charming former student (Sarah Jessica Parker) and a surprise visit from his wild adopted brother (Thomas Haden Church) conspire to turn the life of surly widowed professor Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid) upside down. But after nursing his bitterness for so many years, is the self-absorbed academic ready for change? Ellen Page and Ashton Holmes co-star in this witty dramedy from director Noam Murro. ~netflix] well, this movie is for dumb people who want to pretend they're smart, i guess. oh, don't get all butt-hurt if you liked it. i'm just saying that it was pretty average. i almost turned it off in the beginning, but it started getting slightly better, so i just kept watching it. 2 stars.

Ugly Betty, Season 2. [Golden Globe winner America Ferrera returns as charming, metal-mouthed Betty, a lovable Queens, N.Y.-bred assistant working her way up the ladder of high-fashion magazine Mode. She's still on a low rung of that ladder, but she has the support of her boss (Eric Mabius), her dad (Tony Plana) and her sister (Ana Ortiz). Salma Hayek executive produces the series, which also stars Vanessa Williams and Alan Dale. ~netflix] oooh, i just *heart* this show. :D and i love that vanessa williams' bodyguard is rick fox. that shit just makes me laugh. i totally want her to get together with Henry. why can't she just get together with Henry?! i have a total dork-crush on him. :D hehe. 4 stars.

.:What Mia's Watching:.

My Friends Tigger & Pooh: Hundred Acre Wood Haunt. [This clever interactive program invites all kinds to join in the fun with Pooh (the Bear of Very Little Brain), Piglet, Eeyore and the gang from Hundred Acre Wood as they solve a series of head-scratching mysteries through fun questions and games. How can nervous Piglet conquer his fear of thunder and lightning? Will Eeyore restore a piece of the moon that fell to earth? Children will love this journey of discovery and wonder. ~netflix] they make it seem like it's halloween-themed, but it's really not. read steve's scathing (well, scathing for steve. hehe) review here.

.:What I'm Listening To:.

Sasha: Invol2ver. i really loved this album... except for the title. i don't like that "2" in the middle. couldn't they just name it Involver 2? or something? that 2 just bugs me. other than that, i loved it. (okay, on amazon, they have two listings. one as "invol2ver" and the other as "involver 2"... i guess the one listed as "invol2ver" at $18.49 is a limited edition with a second CD. the one listed as "involver 2" is just the regular CD. gosh, so confusing! hehe.) here's steve's review.

Mitch Hedberg: Do You Believe in Gosh? he is SO damned funny. seriously, i love him. i only wish i could've seen him live... while it kinda upsets me that they're making money off of him after he died, i'm glad to be able to listen to some new material.

.:What I'm Watching:.

Baby Mama. [Tina Fey (TV's "30 Rock") stars in this hilarious comedy as Kate Holbrook, an ultra-driven career woman who, upon learning she's infertile, hires Angie (Amy Poehler), a South Philly working girl, to be her live-in surrogate. As the pair struggles to adjust to their unconventional partnership, Kate and Angie soon discover that sometimes family can be found in the unlikeliest of places. Sigourney Weaver and Greg Kinnear co-star. ~netflix] tina and amy have such good chemistry. and i thought the movie was really cute. also, i have a big ol' girl-crush on tina fey. seriously. i'd be her baby mama. hehe. 4 stars.

The Blue Elephant. [Khan is a little blue elephant whose dreams of adventure come true when he's accidentally separated from his family. In his quest to reunite with them, he finds love, a few new friends and bravery he didn't know he had. This whimsical animated tale is brought to life by the creative geniuses at the Jim Henson Company and features the voice talents of Martin Short, Carl Reiner and Miranda Cosgrove ("iCarly"). ~netflix] take a little mulan, a little of the lion king, and dumbo and you get.... not much, apparently. this movie is about 75 minutes of SUCK. the weinstein company and the henson company picked up this thai movie. bad move on their parts, in my opinion. and does anyone know why thai people are obsessed with elephants? 2 stars. see what steve thought HERE.

Da Ali G Show, Season 2. [The genius of British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's mock talk show is that his "guests" don't often know when he's joking and when he's serious (which isn't very often). As Ali G, the hip-hop host who mangles words and ideas left and right, he interviews such heavyweights as legendary Sam Donaldson, conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, U.S. Olympic Committee president John Nabor, and ex-EPA Administrator and New Jersey Governor Christie Whitman. ~netflix] i think i might like the second season even MORE than i liked the first season! and i liked the first season a whole lot. 4.5 stars.

The Fall. [Set in the 1920s, director Tarsem Singh's visually lush drama stars Lee Pace as paralyzed movie stuntman Roy Walker, who bonds with an imaginative 5-year-old named Alexandria (Catinca Untaru) as they convalesce together in a Los Angeles infirmary. To coax the girl into procuring the cache of morphine he wants from the hospital pharmacy, the suicidal Roy regales Alexandria with an elaborate fantasy about larger-than-life heroes. ~netflix] i reeeeeeally liked it. the little girl is so cute and so good. it's directed by Tarsem... who apparently just goes by one name... like Madonna. anyway, this has Lee Pace in it, who is Ned in Pushing Daisies (which is an awesome show and should be watched by everyone. heh.) and he is really good... but the star is the little girl. she is amazing. i think that Tarsem's probably a bitch to work for, but he did a great job getting great performances out of everyone. it's a gorgeous movie filmed on location all over the world. i loved it. 5 stars. OH! and i'm so used to CGI that in some moments during the movie, i just watched it, assuming that it was enhanced, but then we watched the extras and i was shocked to find out that it was real. also, apparently, many of the cast and crew (as well as the little girl) believed Lee Pace to actually be paralyzed from the waist down. for 7.5 weeks Lee kept up the charade... i guess that added to the believability because the little girl gave an awesome performance. i can't say enough good things about this movie. watch it. you won't be disappointed. and if you are, well, then, you have no soul. or no taste. hehe.

Gossip Girl, Season 2. [Expect even more shocking secrets revealed in this hit drama's second season, which continues to trail the privileged life of rich young Manhattan teens. The players, seen through the eyes of a blogger known only as "Gossip Girl" (narrated by Kristen Bell), include Serena (Blake Lively), who left Manhattan for boarding school, her friend Blair (Leighton Meester), who took Serena's place as the "popular girl," and Nate (Chace Crawford), Blair's boyfriend. ~netflix] why do i watch shows when they air?! i should just wait until they come out on DVD so i can just overdose on the show. man, but i LOVE chuck and blair. 4 stars.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Season 2, Volume 1. [Raise your sword to the sky and cry out, "By the power of Grayskull!" as you join He-Man and his faithful friends against the evil Skeletor in this first half of Season 2 episodes from the classic cartoon series. Revisit the 1980s animated adventures with a cast of unforgettable characters, including Orko, Teela, Man-At-Arms Duncan and, of course, Cringer, the cowardly feline who transforms into the ferocious Battlecat. ~netflix] i always wondered why Skeletor never knew that Prince Adam was He-Man. i mean, he's got that thing like a crystal ball and he's always finding about things that way... so, why wouldn't he know about the Prince Adam/He-Man thing? i mean, it's bad enough that Prince Adam and He-Man look EXACTLY the same (how stupid are those Eternians, anyway?!)... but at LEAST Skeletor should know, right??? 5 stars. :D i love he-man.

Kirikou and the Wild Beast. [Based on traditional West African folktales, this beautifully animated film follows the exciting adventures of Senegalese hero Kirikou as he his uses his intelligence and bravery to protect his fellow villagers from poverty, sickness and danger. Up against terrifying enemies such as a black hyena and an evil sorceress, the ever-resourceful Kirikou becomes a gardener, detective, merchant and even a doctor in order to save the day. ~netflix] it was good. i didn't think it was as good as the first. but still good. 3.5 stars.

The Mighty Boosh, Season 2. i love this show. i love Vince Noir, the king of the mods. and Howard Moon, that jazz-loving little bastard. ahhh. this show is the best ever! oh, but in series 2, they're not zookeepers anymore. i guess now they just live together... with naboo the shaman. and bollo, the gorilla. who used to live in the zoo... and is apparently, naboo's Familiar. yeah. it's crazy. i love it. 5 stars.

Princes et Princesses. [After conjuring up six fantastic tales of love and adventure involving princes and princesses, two students and their art teacher are magically transported into the worlds of each story, where they must play out the imagined events themselves. Rescuing a cursed princess from captivity, entering the home of a dangerous sorceress and avoiding a futuristic queen's death ray are just a few of the thrilling adventures they experience. ~netflix] interesting. i rather liked it. by the same director of the Kirikou movies. 4 stars.

Samurai Girl. [When Asian teen Heaven Kogo (Jamie Chung) learns that her adoptive father (Anthony Wong) is actually in charge of the Japanese yazuka -- and might have even ordered her brother's murder -- she resolves to get revenge by running away and training to become a samurai. Brendan Fehr, Saige Thompson, Stacy Keibler, Steven Brand and Kenneth Choi co-star in this ABC Family series based on the novels by the same name. ~netflix] another guilty pleasure of mine, i guess. hehe. nothing's really GOOD about it... acting? dialogue? no bueno... some SERIOUS cheesy moments... and the music kinda sucks. sometimes it's just too overpowering for the moment... even her fake eyelashes are distracting... although, damn. they did a great job on making her skin look flawless. or maybe it IS flawless... it looks almost unnaturally flawless, though. and i think it's in HD, too! uhm... wait. what was i talking about? oh yeah. that nothing's really GOOD about this show, but i kinda like it. despite all of the ridiculousness. hehe. 3 stars.

What Happens in Vegas. [After a night of heavy partying in Vegas, two strangers (Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher) wake up to realize, much to their displeasure, that they've gotten married, and now, each must vie for a $3 million jackpot won since their wedding. They try every trick in the book to get their hands on the cash, but as fate would have it, the more zealous they become about seizing the riches, the more passion they develop for each other. ~netflix] it was actually pretty cute and funny. funnier than i thought it was gonna be, that's for sure. i'm giving this one 4 stars because i actually laughed a lot. yes, it's very predictable, but there is some really funny dialogue.

.:What Mia's Watching:.

Miffy and Friends: Miffy's Surprise. oh my goodness. this is currently mia's FAVORITE dvd. she is constantly asking me to watch miffy... and we have like, 6 miffy dvds, but she either points it out or asks for, "miffy's soopwize." i really like the miffy and friends dvds because they're all so sweet and gentle. and CUTE. 4 stars.

.:What I'm Listening To:.

The Faint: Fasciinatiion. i really loved Danse Macabre, Blank-wave Arcade and Wet From Birth... so this was a little bit of a disappointment. i like it, but i didn't think it was as good as their previous stuff. the first track was kickass and the rest was just all right. it was a really short album, too. 3 stars.

.:What Mia's Reading:.

See How They Grow. i don't usually write down what mia's reading, but these books are so darn cute. and they come with a sheet of stickers!!! everyone wins! there are a few different series with similar names... this series is published by DK publishing. we have the bunny, duck, butterfly and penguin one. SO CUTE. we love these books.

.: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]

.:What I'm Watching:.

Casablanca. [Of all the "gin joints" in Morocco, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), with husband Victor (Paul Henreid) in tow, had to walk into the one owned by Rick (Humphrey Bogart), a former beau she abandoned in Paris. War looms over them all, and in a much-discussed ending, Rick and Ilsa make heroic but heartbreaking choices. As time goes by, director Michael Curtiz's 1942 classic war noir only gets better. Peter Lorre and Claude Rains also star. ~netflix] yet another classic i've never watched before. and it was soooo good. 5 stars. i love me some classic movies.

The Cleaner. [In this A&E series inspired by actual events, Benjamin Bratt stars as "extreme interventionist" William Banks, a former drug addict who talks to God and now spends his time helping other users turn their lives around. His team of so-called "cleaners" includes a woman he once slept with (Grace Park), a serial complainer (Esteban Powell) and a car salesman (Kevin Michael Richardson) who owes William big for saving his brother's life. ~netflix] it's all right. not great, that's for sure. i like grace park as a maneater, not as a frakkin' cylon. hehe. i never thought i'd say this, but i might actually keep watching the show just to see more of her. i was never a huge grace park fan in Battlestar Galactica, but i really like her in this show. i don't know about the rest of the cast and the writing and stuff, though. i mean, i get that the show's a drama and everything, but does it seriously need to be THAT DRAMATIC? jeez. 3 stars.

Da Ali G Show, Season 1. [Hilarious British comedian and impersonator Sacha Baron Cohen crisscrosses the United States alternating among the three offbeat personalities he plays. Cohen becomes Ali G, the "hip hop journalist" who's really just a white wanna-be rapper; Borat, the gullible newsman from Kazakhstan; and Bruno, the homosexual Austrian fashion plate. Laugh while Ali G, Borat and Bruno discover America and interact with the locals. ~netflix] so funny. i honestly have NO idea how he doesn't just start busting up laughing at these people he's interviewing. 4 stars.

The Dark Knight. [Batman (Christian Bale) teams with Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to continue dismantling Gotham City's criminal organizations in this sequel to Batman Begins. But a psychotic new villain known as the Joker (Heath Ledger) threatens to undo all their good work. The star-studded cast includes Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Anthony Michael Hall, Michael Caine and Eric Roberts. ~netflix] 5 stars. totally awesome. loved every minute of it. saw it at the imax and it was awesome. when we own this on DVD (you know we will buy it!) i wanna have another movie night. :D

Doomsday. [When a deadly viral epidemic breaks out in present-day Britain, killing hundreds of thousands of people, the government quarantines the infected behind a walled city -- only to be confronted with a resurgence of the disease 30 years in the future. In the vein of Mad Max and 28 Days Later, this morality tale veiled as a sci-fi hypothetical features enough action, combat and suspense to keep audiences wondering, "What if?" ~netflix] this movie has everything! viral outbreaks, blood and gore, mohawks, future stuff, medieval stuff, action, chase scenes, fighting, fires, and the poor man's kate beckinsale. heh. what? she is. this is from the same director who brought you The Descent. (which is an awesome movie, btw... and i don't like horror. although it's not typical horror. whatever. anyway, you should rent it.) anyway, back to Doomsday... like LE said, "i'm not sure if this is a good-bad movie or a bad-bad movie." regardless, i liked it. 3.5 stars.

Umrao Jaan. [Ravishing Indian beauty Aishwarya Rai stars in director J.P. Dutta's remake about a poor girl who is sold into a brothel, where she's transformed into the courtesan Umrao Jaan and falls in love with Nawab Sultan (Abhishek Bachchan). Life as a courtesan is filled with hard knocks as Umrao tries everything in her power to control her own destiny. Shabana Azmi, Sunil Shetty, Divya Dutta, Himani Shivpuri and Kulbhushan Kharbanda also star. ~netflix] very sad. end was confusing. and even though it was 3 hours long, i felt like it was totally unresolved. I NEED CLOSURE!!!! i believe it's a remake of another movie by the same name. but the original doesn't have aishwarya in it. the costumes were breathtaking. 4 stars.

.:What Mia's Watching:.

Little Einsteins: The Flight of the Instrument Fairies. [This colorful collection from the popular Playhouse Disney series includes four fairy-tale adventures, including the never-before-seen episode "Flight of the Instrument Fairies," featuring a band of musical sprites who paint the Artic sky. Join Rocket -- who can gleefully transform from a spaceship to a submarine -- as he guides Quincy, Annie, June and Leo on adventures with a team of lost puppets in Prague and at a black-tie ball in Vienna. ~netflix] while i like that this show introduces kids to various composers and artists, i dislike how annoying this show can get. also, there's a little asian girl character and i noticed that the girl who voices her is asian as well. is that a rule? like, if you have  an asian character, it has to be voiced by an asian? because it seems ridiculous. then again, i'm sure asian peeps would be all up in arms that the asian character isn't voiced by an asian if it weren't... ugh. people are so dumb and ridiculous. oh. right. back to the DVD. your kid will probably be totally mesmerized... but you won't be. hehe. i think mia would give this a 3 or 4 star rating. i am giving it 2.

.:What I'm Listening To:.

Beck: Modern Guilt. produced with Danger Mouse. pretty good. i enjoyed it. i am looking forward to a repeat spin. i think i liked it as much as I liked The Information. maybe even more! 4 stars.

DJ Craze: Fabriclive 38. good fun. seriously. i was not expecting much at all, but it was good times. 3.5 stars.

Mark Farina: Fabric 40. this album was good, but i prefer to see mark farina live. 3 stars.

Tricky: Knowle West Boy. i'm really digging this album. a lot. this is my second spin and i think it's going to be in heavy rotation. drops september 9... or you can get the import now. 4 stars.

.:What I'm Reading:.

Altered Carbon - Richard K. Morgan. (click here to read the plot summary on wikipedia) a very interesting, very enjoyable read. i'm not done yet (i'm reading two books at once. i should just commit to one and FINISH it. sheesh.), but hopefully i'll finish this next week... :)

.:What I'm Watching:.

Batman: Gotham Knight. [Batman takes on Deadshot, Killer Croc and other deadly foes in six anime-inspired short films. Together, the interlocking tales bridge 2005's Batman Begins and its 2008 sequel, the Dark Knight, and illuminate our anti-hero's troubled psyche. The powerhouse writing team includes Oscar nominee Josh Olson, Batman Begins writer David S. Goyer, comic book writers Greg Rucka and Brian Azzarello, and "Batman Beyond" creator Alan Burnett. ~netflix] it was awesome. loved it. 5 stars. totally amped me up for The Dark Knight... which i won't see opening weekend because i hate crowds, but i definitely want to watch in the theater...

Frisky Dingo, Season 1. [In this animated series from "Sealab 2021" creators Matt Thompson and Adam Reed, a bored villain and a superhero who refuses to retire square off over the former's plan to destroy the world. As Killface deals with the unpleasant bureaucratic details of eliminating the planet, Awesome X -- the superhero alter ego of billionaire action figure maker Xander Crews -- contemplates coming out of retirement in this clever superhero spoof. ~netflix] i want to be Killface when i grow up. it is seriously hilarious. the writing is AWESOME. i love it. thanks to charlie 5-0 for recommending it! 5 stars!

Samurai Jack. [An evil shape-shifter named Aku brings destruction upon the land. As the citizens' last hope, a young samurai warrior is trained to defeat Aku. But when he returns as an adult to confront Aku, the warrior is flung into the future through a time portal. The locals help "Jack" in his quest to return to the past and fight Aku. ~netflix] so... i wish someone told me that the movie prequel Samurai Jack was just the first few episodes of the TV series. cuz i totally already watched it. whatever. maybe i didn't read the netflix reviews closely enough. i just wish i didn't waste my time getting the movie when i'd already watched the first season. it's still good, but i'll only give it 4 stars. because you really should just get the whole first season instead of this disc.

The Sarah Jane Adventures. [Investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith and her 13-year-old neighbor Maria form an alliance to combat evil alien forces. ~imdb] another spin-off of Doctor Who. it's really cute. totally geared for a younger audience, but it doesn't mean that it's not good. it really is quite enjoyable and fun. 4 stars. also, sarah jane sure is aging well! she is 60, but definitely looks like she's in her 40s.

The Tracey Fragments. [On a quest to locate her missing brother -- who believes he's a dog after she hypnotized him -- Tracey Berkowitz (Ellen Page) traverses a city full of hazards. Meanwhile, her neglectful parents (Ari Cohen and Erin McMurtry) make plans to send her to an equally dysfunctional therapist. Unhappy and insecure, Tracey consoles herself with rock 'n' roll fantasies about the new boy at school, Billy Zero (Slim Twig), in this quirky indie drama. ~netflix] UGH. they were just trying SO HARD to make it all artsy. and it was just annoying. i could only watch about 10 minutes of it before i started feeling nauseated. the edits and the camera work were literally making me sick. dude, i don't know what ellen page is going to do when she's like, 30 and can't get work because she won't look 15 anymore. you know, because she is totally typecast as the "precocious teenager." 2 stars. no. wait. 1 star.

The Virgin Suicides. [Responding to the lax moral milieu of the mid-1970s, Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon (James Woods and Kathleen Turner, respectively) keep their five alluring, adolescent daughters on a short leash. When the youngest, 13-year-old Cecelia (Hannah Hall), unaccountably commits hara-kiri and wayward elder sister Lux (Kirsten Dunst) violates curfew, Mom puts all the girls under virtual house arrest. But her overreaction has unintended -- and dire -- consequences. ~netflix] first of all, i love the soundtrack. and the movie itself was really good. and sad. also, the thought of mia hitting puberty scares the crap out of me. heh. not that i think she will attempt to commit suicide or anything... but puberty is still a scary, scary thing. 4 stars.

.:What I'm Listening To:.

PJ Harvey: White Chalk. okay. absolutely none of this album sounds like PJ Harvey. i had to keep checking the text to make sure that it indeed WAS PJ Harvey. i have mixed feelings about this album. while i didn't DISLIKE it, i didn't really LIKE it. maybe i need to give it another spin, but i don't know... 3 stars... i guess.

.:What I'm Watching:.

In Bruges. [After accidentally killing an innocent boy in London, Irish hit men Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) are sent by their boss, Harry (Ralph Fiennes), to lay low in Bruges. But, uncomfortable in this foreign city, the two professional killers soon get into trouble. Complicating matters further, when the guilt-ridden Ray falls for a girl working on a film shoot, he finds himself confronting the girl's jealous ex-boyfriend. ~netflix] i actually really liked it. also, i'm finding myself NOT hating colin farrell. 4 stars.

Mad Men, Season 1. [It's 1960, and ad executive Don Draper (Jon Hamm) rules the roost at New York's Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency in this sharply written drama. Living a glamorous existence of never-ending cocktail hours, worry-free smoking and ego-stroking power, ladies' man Draper makes numerous conquests both at work and in his personal life. But the world is beginning to change, and Draper will have to use all his smarts to stay one step ahead of the game. ~netflix] this show makes me want to chain smoke. seriously. boy, people smoked a lot in 1960. hehe. it's interesting to watch how they probably treated women back then... but then it pisses me off because, really, not much has changed. watching it just reminded me how it was at work sometimes and it just made me angry. 3 stars.

North by Northwest. [What if everyone around you was suddenly convinced you were a spy? This classic from master director Alfred Hitchcock stars Cary Grant as an advertising executive who looks a little too much like someone else and is forced to go on the lam (helped along by Eva Marie Saint). Hitchcock's sure-handed comic drama pits Grant against a crop duster and lands him in a fight for his life on Mount Rushmore. That's a cliffhanger if ever there was one! ~netflix] i love old movies. they're just so darn cute. and this one is a classic for a reason. 5 stars.

Samurai Jack, Season 1. [A Japanese samurai -- Jack, by name -- is transplanted into a future reality that's controlled by the evil despot Aku. The wayward warrior with a moral code must find a way to survive until he's able to return to his ancient world and rid himself once and for all of Aku. This collection contains all 13 animated episodes from the show's first season, which aired on cable's Cartoon Network. ~netflix] i love the animation style and the story line is super-engaging. not a whole lot of dialogue. definitely more action than anything else. and samurai jack is exactly how i like my men. men who don't talk much but are great with the action. tee hee. 5 stars.

The Spiderwick Chronicles. [When city-raised twins Jared and Simon (both played by Freddie Highmore) move to an old country mansion with their mother (Mary-Louise Parker) and sister (Sarah Bolger), it's quite an adjustment -- especially when they uncover a magical and sometimes dangerous fantasy world. Based on the best-selling children's books, this family adventure populated with all manner of fanciful creatures co-stars Joan Plowright, David Strathairn and Nick Nolte. ~netflix] kinda scary for a kids movie! hell, i was kinda scared! heh. it was pretty good, though. i liked it. 4 out of 5 stars.

Super High Me. [Determined to find out the true effects of marijuana on the human body, stand-up comedian and former Stoner of the Year Doug Benson documents his experience avoiding pot for 30 days and then consuming massive amounts of the drug for 30 days. More than just an amusing story of one man's quest to get superhigh, this documentary also examines the hotly contested debate over medical marijuana use. ~netflix] i was kind of disappointed in this documentary. and i think that for his "testing" they make it seem like oh, he did so much better on his tests when he was high... but i think this guy is kinduva failure and he has so much anxiety that he NEEDS the weed to help him cope. they don't really go into that. kids are gonna watch this movie thinking that it's going to have the same results for everyone and that weed isn't necessarily dangerous. i'm not saying that it IS dangerous. but it just depends on the person. and even though there's a disclaimer in the beginning, i don't know that people will really pay attention to it. also, it wasn't that entertaining either. boo. 3 stars.

Vantage Point. [Moments after he arrives in Spain for a landmark antiterrorism summit, U.S. President Ashton is shot. The 15 minutes leading up to the shooting are rehashed -- Rashomon-style -- from the perspective of various onlookers: two Secret Service agents (Dennis Quaid and Matthew Fox), a TV reporter (Sigourney Weaver) and a tourist (Forest Whitaker). This nail-biting political thriller marks the feature directorial debut of Pete Travis. ~netflix] as long as you don't think about it too much, it's all right. and chases always make movies more exciting, so it does have THAT going for it. 2.5 star movie. nothing great, though. i felt like the director was just trying too hard and kind of ... failing. the best part of the whole movie is when matthew fox is speaking in spanish and it's OBVIOUS that they dubbed it over with some other dude's voice. i couldn't stop laughing because it sounded SO ridiculous! that other dude's voice was like, 2 octaves lower than matthew fox's voice. hehe. you'd think they could find SOMEONE in any of the spanish speaking countries that sounded somewhat like matthew fox. man. it was funny. hehe. 3 stars.

The Wild Blue Yonder. [Werner Herzog crafts a thought-provoking exploration of life beyond Earth by blending authentic NASA images with documentary footage shot beneath the Antarctic Ocean by avid diver and experimental guitarist Henry Kaiser. After human beings suck everything valuable from planet Earth -- including all life-sustaining matter -- aliens move in to try to settle a veritable wasteland. Oscar nominee Brad Dourif (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) stars. ~netflix] pretty boring. i fell asleep. i want my sci-fi movies to be SCI-FI. not the idea of sci-fi with NASA footage. probably only pretentious wannabe "artsy" people will like this movie. hehe. 2 stars.

Without a Paddle. [Three friends (Seth Green, Matthew Lillard and Dax Shepard) leave their home in Philadelphia for a camping trip after their friend Billy's death. Their destination has special meaning, as Billy was fixated on going there to search for a lost treasure. Hoping to find some of the $194,200 of famed airline hijacker D.B. Cooper's money -- rumored to be located somewhere in the wilderness -- the men embark on the adventure of their lives. ~netflix] i thought it was gonna suck, but it was all right. i didn't hate it. 3 stars.

.:What Mia's Watching:.

The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. ["Sesame Street" veteran Elmo gets his own movie when he dives into Oscar the Grouch's trashcan to retrieve his blanket and wakes up in Grouchland. The Muppets mission: To rescue the blanket from the evil Huxley (Mandy Patinkin) with the help of the Queen of Trash (Vanessa Williams). There are lots of fun and songs along the way (including the all-time kids' fave "I'm a Little Teapot") plus Bert and Ernie as hosts! ~netflix] dude, if this movie was made in 1999, how is it that all of the human characters look EXACTLY the same?! sheesh. anyway, it was cute. they had it free at one of the theaters here so i figured i'd take mia to the movies. it was her first time! she had a pretty good time. :)

.:What I'm Listening To:.

The Fratellis: Here We Stand. man, what a disappointment! i LOVED their first album. but their second one, not so much. it was kinda boring and lame.

.:What I'm Reading:.

Quick Reads! they're the best invention ever! i read 1.5 books in less than 45 minutes. the ones i got were:
Doctor Who: Made of Steel
Doctor Who: Revenge of the Judoon
totally fun and totally short... according to amazon UK, they're 112 pages long. i enjoyed them. :)

.:What I'm Watching:.

4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days. [In the last days of communism in Romania, Gabita (Laura Vasiliu), a young college student, wants to end her unplanned pregnancy. With the help of her best friend, fellow student Otilia (Anamaria Marinca), she seeks an abortion, illegal under the oppressive Ceaucescu regime. Director Cristian Mungiu's searing portrait of life under dictatorship received a slew of film festival awards as well as a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film from the Golden Globes. ~netflix] it was interesting. the character of the girl getting the abortion was annoying as all hell, though. i wanted to beat her stupid, stupid face in. she was just stupid and ridiculous. someone like that deserves a beat down. the main character, though (oddly enough, the main character is her best friend, NOT the girl getting the abortion) was really good. she was a really good actress and i enjoyed watching her performance. 3 stars.

AVPR: Aliens vs Predator - Requiem. [Prepare for more mayhem as warring aliens and predators return for Round 2 of their no-holds-barred slugfest. This time, the intergalactic creatures do battle in a small American town, throwing local residents into harm's way. To save the planet, the humans must oust both types of unwelcome guests. This sci-fi sequel features tons of spectacular action sequences full of nifty new gadgets and gooey monster gore. ~netflix] how did they find so many terrible actors? it was unreal! and the whole thing was kind of dumb. i mean, you'd think that they'd at least have awesome fight scenes, but you could hardly see anything at all cuz it was so dark. so... yeah. 2 stars. i thought my eyes were gonna roll right outta my head cuz i was rolling them so hard. hehe.

Be Kind Rewind. [When Jerry (Jack Black) accidentally magnetizes his brain, he inadvertently erases all the videos in the rental store his buddy Mike (Mos Def) runs. To please the store's loyal customers, Jerry and Mike set out to produce their own low-rent remakes of the erased films. Danny Glover, Mia Farrow and Paul Dinello also star in this imaginative comedy written and directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). ~netflix] i really liked the beginning, and i just liked the end... so averaged out, i'm giving this one 4 stars. i just kind of felt like it was two movies. the first half and the second half didn't seem to mesh really well.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. [When idealistic junior senator Jefferson Smith (James Stewart) arrives in Washington, he's full of plans and dazzled by his surroundings -- qualities he retains even in the face of widespread corruption on the part of his colleagues. Jean Arthur puts in a sharp performance as Smith's cynical secretary, and former cowboy star Harry Carey makes a fine vice president in this Academy Award-winning classic from director Frank Capra. ~netflix] such a wonderful film. sure some of it is dated and they make sexist comments here and there (it WAS made in 1939, after all), but as a whole, it's a great movie. and yes, i cried a little bit. 5 stars.

.:What Mia's Watching:.

The Book of Pooh: Fun with Friends. another book of pooh dvd, using the japanese buraku style. it's cute and fun. and mia loves it. that's good enough for me! hehe.

.:What I'm Listening To:.

Black Sun Empire: Endangered Species. really, really awesome. i really liked it. of course, i'm a big d'n'b fan... and i am a big fan of BSE.

Krafty Kuts: Back to Mine. love this album. on the album it says, "a personal collection for after hours grooving." after hours grooving, indeed! it will be perfect for the next time steve and i go out late... (edc!!!)

N*E*R*D: Seeing Sounds. nothing really impressed me. maybe i'm just not a big enough fan to really like the album? i don't know... it was just all right to me...

also on my drive up and down, i listened to a ton of DJ sets. one of Sander Kleinenberg in Dubai and the rest from the opening party in Ibiza. Deep Dish, Fatboy Slim, Pete Tong, Sasha, Steve Lawler... yeah. i SO need to go to Ibiza one year. until then, i'll just have to settle for going to massives here in socal.

.:What I'm Watching:.

Control. [In a blistering breakthrough performance, Sam Riley stars as Ian Curtis, the troubled Joy Division singer whose personal, professional and romantic battles ended in suicide at age 23. Rock photographer Anton Corbijn's directorial debut chronicles Curtis's life in stylish black-and-white, faithfully re-creating the mood of the British post-punk scene circa 1980. Samantha Morton co-stars as Curtis's wife, Debbie. ~netflix] i really liked it. i mean, a lot. i thought it was really well-done. it looked amazing, the acting was superb. before i watched it, i thought samantha morton was an odd choice for curtis's wife, since she was supposed to be a teenager and morton does not really look like a teen, but she was amazing. and thoroughly convincing as a teen and a young woman in her 20s. there are times when Sam Riley sounds EXACTLY like ian curtis and i was like, "hey, is he actually singing? or is that ian curtis?" and other times, he sounded nothing like ian curtis. he did a fine job, though. ian curtis had a very distinctive voice and to be able to sound like him even some of the time is amazing. this movie should definitely be watched in conjunction with the Joy Division documentary. 5 stars. (of course, i love joy division, so it gets 5 stars. if i didn't give a crap, i'd probably only give it 3 or 4.)

Invisible Target. [When the Ronin Gang robs an armored car, three cops -- Chan (Nicholas Tse), Fong (Shawn Yue) and Wai (Jaycee Chan) -- go on the warpath. Each has a personal interest in bringing down Ronin leader Tien (Jacky Wu): he killed Chan's fiancée, humiliated Fong and kidnapped Wai's brother. Outnumbered but determined, the trio launches a deadly war from which only one faction will emerge alive. ~netflix] ridiculously painful looking stunts. fun. yet confusing. as all good hong kong movies should be. my boyfriend, nicholas tse is in it. also, he had his shirt off. huzzah! also, jackie chan's son is in it. but no huzzah for him having his shirt off. hehe. 4 stars.

Joy Division. [Director Grant Gee provides a cultural portrait of Manchester, England, during the 1970s as he examines the rise and fall of the punk band Joy Division. The film charts the history of the group, its members and musical inspiration. The anger and despair felt by much of England's youth found its way into the lyrics and violent instrumentation of Joy Division's songs, an artistic expression that was more than just rebellion. ~netflix] i loved it. i would watch this first and then the movie Control. when you watch footage of the real ian curtis, you can totally see how he seems to enter a trance-like state when he's on stage. in the movie Control, Sam Riley, who plays a very good Ian Curtis seems to just spaz out on stage. but Ian Curtis... there was definitely something more to him. Sam Riley did the best he could, but in this documentary, you see how Ian Curtis could be so revered. he was truly mesmerizing. this DVD releases june 17. 5 stars.

Jumper. [The product of a broken home, Davey Rice (Hayden Christensen) is looking for a way to escape from his abusive father -- and finds it when he discovers he can teleport himself at will. But Davey's newfound powers soon become a double-edged sword that exacts a terrible price … and attracts unwanted attention from the National Security Agency. Director Doug Liman's sci-fi thriller also stars Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane and Tom Hulce. ~netflix] okay. this movie had SO MUCH POTENTIAL and they messed it up. i mean, the thought of being able to jump anywhere in the world sounds so awesome, right? but... this movie just annoyed me. they just made it stupid and silly and it could've been an awesome movie. OH! and in case you were wondering, hayden christensen still can't act. 2 stars.

The Machine Girl. [While seeking revenge for her little brother's murder, Japanese schoolgirl Ami (Minase Yashiro) loses an arm to yakuza villains. Her plight prompts a pair of friendly mechanics to furnish our heroine with a butt-kicking machine-gun prosthesis. As the determined Ami sacrifices more limbs, she receives stronger and deadlier upgrades in this outrageous gore-filled slasher from director Noboru Iguchi. ~netflix] uhm. like, whoa. super gory. maybe it was just super gory for me cuz i hardly ever watch gory flicks. anyway, it's mostly just crazy good fun. but i couldn't watch all the gore. i had to look away at times. sometimes it was just over the top. what? i'm a wuss. i don't know what genre this is, but it's that crazy-bloody-campy-japanese-style-movie genre. heh. you know the kind i'm talking about, right? anyway, 4 stars.

Mama's Boy. [A pretentious goldbricker (Jon Heder, of Napoleon Dynamite fame) who lives with his doting mother floats through life pretending that his existence has meaning in this rib-tickling comedy from director Tim Hamilton. But when Mom falls in love and wants to tie the knot with a charming motivational speaker, her pseudo-brainiac son realizes that he may be losing his hold on the comfortable life he's fashioned for himself. ~netflix] nothing spectacular. kinda like Mr. Woodcock. but with different actors. if you've watched that movie, you probably don't need to watch this one... and vice versa. 3 stars.

The Other Boleyn Girl. [Director Justin Chadwick's opulent historical drama stars Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn and Scarlett Johansson as her sister, Mary -- beautiful, ambitious sisters vying for the heart of powerful but intemperate King Henry VIII (Eric Bana). Though both women are the monarch's mistresses, only one can become his queen consort -- but at what cost? The supporting cast includes Kristin Scott Thomas and Jim Sturgess. ~netflix] okay. seriously? eric bana must've been high-fiving himself when he got this part. natalie portman AND ScarJo as leads. hehe. it was all right. i didn't particularly like it, but i didn't really dislike it. the timing of it was really confusing, though. i couldn't get a sense that years had gone by. it felt like everything was just days apart. 2 stars. i might've given it 2.5 stars if i could give half stars on netflix. WHY WON'T THEY LET ME GIVE HALF STARS ON NETFLIX?! GAH!

Semi-Pro. [Will Ferrell stars as Jackie Moon, owner and coach of the Flint Michigan Tropics -- the team with the worst record in the renegade American Basketball Association. With the franchise on the brink of collapse, can Jackie's squad rebound to salvation in the National Basketball Association? Director Kent Alterman's entertaining comedy (set in 1976) also stars Woody Harrelson, Maura Tierney, André Benjamin and Andy Richter. ~netflix] it was all right. there were some really funny moments and some really retarded ones. but, i guess that's to be expected. 3 stars.

Typhoon. [Still seething over the killing of his family as they tried to defect from North to South Korea when he was a child, Sin (Dong-Kun Jang) schemes to nuke all of Korea. Now, naval Lt. Gang Se-jong (Jung-Jae Lee) must track Sin down before he carries out his nefarious plan. But while he can't run the risk of having personal feelings interfere with his mission, as Gang learns more about the man he seeks, he begins to feel sympathy for his plight. ~netflix] i gave it 2 stars. see? i'm not the only who disliked it.

.:What I'm Listening To:.

Nine Inch Nails: The Slip. i guess i'm just too much of a Pretty Hate Machine fan. that's my favorite NIN album and it always will be. The Slip was good. but i didn't love it the way i love PHM. 4 stars.