Must Love Dogs

Must Love Dogs is cute, but not the best romantic comedy I've ever seen. It has a great cast, especially the supporting actors - Stockard Channing, Christopher Plummer, and Ben Shenkman? I love all of them, and I love it when "serious" actors have fun in fluffy little movies. Also, Diane Lane and John Cusack are just adorable... nonetheless, it was just alright to me. I think what put me over the edge was the family sing-along. I don't like it when families break into song for no reason in movies - it was ridiculously wonderful in My Best Friend's Wedding, but in Must Love Dogs, it's just ridiculous. If you're looking for a romantic comedy, there are many out there that are much better than this one, even though it wasn't really that bad.

Must Love Dogs - B-

Oscar Predictions

Like my friend Charlie, I love the Oscars. I spend lots of time thinking about my predictions, and even more time trying to see all the nominated movies. But, unlike Charlie, I just pick six I think will be nominated - no top five and runners-up. Also, I know so little about the screenplay categories, I'm just going to leave them out this time, but they'll be in my updated predictions that will come out right before the nominations.

I love the Oscars. I love all awards shows, but the Oscars especially. I can't wait!



BEST PICTURE
Walk the Line
Brokeback Mountain
Munich
Good Night and Good Luck
A History of Violence
Crash

BEST DIRECTOR
Ang Lee - Brokeback Mountain
Steven Spielberg - Munich
George Clooney - Good Night and Good Luck
Paul Haggis - Crash
David Cronenberg - A History of Violence
Fernando Meirelles - The Constant Gardener

BEST ACTOR
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
Joaquin Phoenix - Walk the Line
Heath Ledger - Brokeback Mountain
David Strathairn - Good Night and Good Luck
Terrence Howard - Hustle and Flow
Jeff Daniels - The Squid and the Whale

BEST ACTRESS
Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line
Felicity Huffman - Transamerica
Judi Dench - Mrs. Henderson Presents
Laura Linney - The Squid and the Whale
Charlize Theron - North Country
Keira Knightley - Pride and Prejudice

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Dillon - Crash
Jake Gyllenhaal - Brokeback Mountain
George Clooney - Syriana
Bob Hoskins - Mrs. Henderson Presents
Don Cheadle - Crash
William Hurt - A History of Violence

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Michelle Williams - Brokeback Mountain
Catherine Keener - Capote
Rachel Weisz - The Constant Gardener
Amy Adams - Junebug
Scarlett Johannson - Match Point
Maria Bello - A History of Violence

Oscars - A
my predictions - B+ (I'm excited, but you probably don't care!)

The Things I Want

I have just discovered The Things I Want, the most awesome wish list website. You set up your account, and add items by linking to the websites where you can buy the items. For example, on my list, you can click on "ER - First Season," and my list will take you to the Amazon page for the ER DVDs. I think it's pretty brilliant. I don't expect to receive any gifts or anything, but it sure is fun making a wish list! I think I'm going to add a car soon. Or a pony!

The Things I Want - B+

Undressed!

You absolutely must check out Undressed!, the year-end review of celebrity bad fashion. Kat Giantis is a god, and no one is safe from her scathing comments - Mary-Kate and Ashley, Nicole Kidman, Fergie, both Simpson sisters, and even Madonna get lambasted for their sartorial choices (I learned the word "sartorial" from reading Undressed!). Here's what Kat has to say about Mariah:
"We could go for the easy Christo joke here, quipping that this must be where the saffron sheets from "The Gates" go to die, but Mariah Carey deserves -- scratch that -- demands better than that. The divalicious octave-jumper, who was apparently just teasing us with talk of a classy makeover, takes to the streets of New York in this Tang-tinted tragedy, which shows off her terrific figure and terrifically bad taste. The voluminous sleeves are perfect for keeping the little people from getting too close, while the fabric-collating center ring can serve double-duty as the leash holder for all her many minions. How tacky are these togs? They would have Cher, clad in a see-through Bob Mackie gown and 4-foot feathered headdress, shaking her head and sighing, 'Honey, it's a bit gaudy.'"

Oh, Kat Giantis, you are my hero.

Undressed! Year in Review - A+
me finally learning how to put links in the body of my blog - also A+

Boston Legal

My parents are huge Boston Legal fans, so I watched this show for the first time tonight, and I LOVED it. It's the quintessential dramedy - it's really, really funny, but in a courtroom setting with no laugh-track, and it has an all-star cast and good story lines. I would probably watch this show again, but I am already firmly committed to four TV shows, and this one airs on Tuesdays, when I have my night class. Boo. Maybe I'll rent the DVDs...

Boston Legal - B

50 First Dates

This movie was pretty good. I never realized how much I liked funny trained animals until I watched this - the penguin was funny and cute, but not as funny and cute as the walruses... trained walruses are awesome! The rest of the movie was definitely entertaining, and Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore played just enough away from the characters they always play to make the movie fun and interesting and heartwarming, but I thought the whole thing was sort of sad and irresponsible. I don't want to give anything away, so let me say 50 First Dates doesn't have the "perfect Hollywood ending," but close to it; I liked it more because it doesn't all work out just right in the end, but it made me kind of sad nonetheless. I know this doesn't sound like a rave review, but I actually really enjoyed it, and this movie proves that even romantic comedies can make you think at the end. Probably one of the most clever romantic comedies I've seen in a while, so check it out.

50 First Dates - B+
trained animals - A+

Cousins, Part Two

On Saturday morning, my cousins Mike, Lisa and Joelle cam over for a pastry and coffee breakfast (for those of you who have been reading my blog since its humble beginnings, these are the Mike and Lisa I wrote about very early on, and their daughter). It was very chill - I think some people were still in pajamas - and we had a delightful time doing a whole bunch of nothing. Dad's cousins on Friday, Mom's cousins on Saturday... good times.

Cousin time - A-

Cousins, Part One

Even though a bunch of my cousins live in Oklahoma, I almost never get to see them, so it was super fun when Tom, Kathy, Dia, Chauncey, and Chauncey's wife Jennifer came over to eat dinner and hang out last night (if you're reading this, you guys, welcome to the neighborhood!). That's Dia, my brother Pat, and Chauncey in the picture with me. There was a kid's table for everyone under 35, and since we outnumbered the grownups, they ate at the little table in the kitchen. After some delicious potato soup, we moved into the living room where Tom and Chauncey told the most incredible stories about their adventures in moving from Utah to Oklahoma and a "fishing trip"to Canada. As most of you know, I love a good story, and I can honestly say that these two stories have catapulted to the top of my "best stories ever" list - two of the top five now belong to my cousins. Way to go, guys! Unfortunately, I will never be able to retell them - there was just way too much nuance and comedic timing. You'll just have to take my word for it that these guys can tell a mean story... and would probably win if they ever went on The Amazing Race.

cousin time - B+ (if only I could retell those stories!)

The ATL

First up, my saga of the ATL: I've been to Atlanta once before, and it was awesome, but yesterday I experienced a side of it that I had never seen before - the Atlanta airport. That sucker is huge. It has a food court, for crying out loud! We had a lovely three-hour layover, and all I did was crosswords (okay, it's not much of a saga). Next time, ATL, show me what you're made of.

Atlanta - A
ATL airport - B+
three-hour layover - B-

Quick Post

Hi friends - I've been traveling all day and am now firmly ensconced at my parents' house. You'll get some juicy posts about holiday travel, my fun cousins, and delicious treats soon!

Project Runway

If you don't care about Project Runway, you can skip this post... or just start watching the show, because you'll be all caught up after reading the blogs!

Well, it was yet another great episode, and I couldn't love Nick more, but Santino just pissed off. I mean, it's obvious he's a great designer, but he needed to take some ownership for his bad designs. Seriously, what is this crazy frilly Bulgarian deer crap? Shannon is one of my favorite models and she looks ridiculous. Bad, Santino. BAD!!!

I miss Daniel Franco already.

Project Runway - A
Santino - D

Red Hawk Bar and Grill

I ate lunch at Red Hawk Bar and Grill today, with my friends Erika, Christine and Erin. It's Christine's favorite lunch spot. It was busy, but we got a table right away, and our waitress was perfectly attentive - not annoying, but she jumped in our conversation when she heard us talking about a bad movie, and she always kept our drinks filled. I had a grilled tuna sandwich with cheddar, and it was superb, and the accompanying fries were also outstanding. The only bad thing about the meal was that a huge bug crawled on Erin. We don't know where it came from, or where it went after Erin flung it off her arm.

Red Hawk Bar and Grill - A-

... And A Little Marshmallow Shall Lead Them

There are no words.


s'mores nativity scene - A? F? Who can say?

Murderball

This movie was sweet. Quadriplegic rugby? Yes, please! These guys are total studs. They may have limited limb function, but they are hosses. Look at Zupan, on the right. He's all tattooed and muscle-y and stuff. And Hogsett, all the way to the left, has broken fingers, his elbow, and his nose playing murderball... and he's in a wheelchair! Full contact sports with wheelchairs - it can't get any better.

Even without the hot guys in wheelchairs, this movie was pretty awesome. It's pretty uplifting, seeing what amazing athletes these guys are, and how they joke around about their disabilities (there's a scene involving an amputee and a cardboard box that is hilarious). I love that the filmmakers paint the Canadians as the bad guys, because there always has to be a rivalry in a sports movie, and the Canadian coach is the baddest of all bad guys. And we meet the families and girlfriends of these guys, and see them drinking beer and wrestling each other... really, it was great. I've been wanting to see this movie for months, and now I did and it was great. It's out on DVD, so rent it as soon as you can. It might not be suitable for your young kids, but I hear there's a PG version out there that is... but I would just get the R version, 'cause it's super funny and you get to watch part of a video on quadriplegic sex. Intrigued? Get the movie!

Murderball - A

Aim Toothpaste

When I was a kid, my family only used Aim toothpaste for our dental care needs. As I got older, I switched to Colgate Total Plus Whitening, and loved it, but on my last shopping trip I decided to try Aim again, mostly owing to its low low price. Well, I'm not fully satisfied. Aim is really foamy. Too foamy. Also, since it's a gel and has no paste-like qualities, there's no paste grit, and I feel like my teeth aren't getting as clean as they did with Colgate. I'll stick with it until the tube runs out, but after that, back to Colgate I go.

Aim toothpaste - C

A Pain in the...

You know what I hate? I hate when the underwire in your bra breaks through the fabric and the wire starts poking you right in the boob. That has to be one of the least pleasant things to happen to a full-figured girl. It happened to me today, and I had to tough it out because I was at work and couldn't do the ol' bra switcheroo. Looks like I'll be purchasing some new lingerie with this week's earnings.

Broken bra - C-

Sex and the City Season 2

I am really loving the second season of Sex and the City. I love seeing Miranda and Steve start their relationship, since I know how it ends. Well, I know how the whole thing ends, since I've already seen season six, but it's really cool to fill in some of the holes. I'm still waiting to meet Aidan, though.

Seriously, TV on DVD is awesome! I've watched about seven hours of SATC in the last two days, and I have a couple more episodes to go before I move on to season two volume three. It's just too bad that I have to rent from Blockbuster - I need Netflix for these babies.

Sex and the City season 2 - A-

200th Post

Break out the champagne and Oreos - it's my 200th post! If I were a TV show, there would be a big cake and the entire cast would be gathered around while I took the first slice.

Mmmm, cake.

200th post - B+ (an exciting number to achieve, but really, this post is pretty boring)

Happy Holidays from the Undead

This right here is why I love Ann Arbor - a Zombie Claus attack on Liberty, right in front of the enormous windows at work, where I could watch the Santa and elf (and for some reason, an Easter bunny) zombies lurching down the street. It was really, really great.

Mad props to the Zombie Claus people - I'm sure there will be pictures from the actual event in the next few days, and I'll post one up.

Zombie Claus - A- (most of the zombies moved too fast, and one guy was just way too damn slow)

Project Runway

I'm gonna have to stop reading blogs on Thursday morning if I haven't watched Project Runway on Wednesday night... well, it was another great episode. I think Nick's design was just fabulous, and he is quickly becoming my favorite designer. My new least favorite is Santino. Scratch what I said about Lupe - Santino is the new Wendy. They're nothing alike, but he's going to be the guy that everyone hates at the end. Yes, his design was very good, but not winning is no reason to sit in a corner and pout. I expect big things from Santino is the next episode, having to work in a team. I bet he flips his shit!
My condolences to the Raymundo fans - I liked him, too. Too bad he used that burlap stuff for the jacket, or it might have been cute.

Project Runway - A, as usual