World Trade Center

World Trade Center was directed by Oliver Stone. I am not a fan of Mr. Stone, but I believe he got it right this time. Considering that most of us watched the surreal events of September 11th, 2001 on our televisions and never got much closer than that, to see that day from the perspective of the emergency personnel who were called to the scene almost immediately was riveting. And terrifying. As that day progressed, the facts started seeping in - not an accident.. terrorism..chaos..and who would do this and why? To see several of these policemen rush into the second tower, unaware of what was literally happening directly above them is astounding and chilling. Nicolas Cage was wonderfully understated as one of the trapped men and Maggie Gyllenhaal was heart-wrenching as a pregnant wife and mother torn between grief and desperate hope. Considering the pedigree of its director, this film really surprised me. Instead of being political and preachy, it focused more on the strong brotherhood/sisterhood that exists between the brave souls who serve as firemen, policemen, and paramedics and the importance of family, loyalty, and taking nothing for granted. In the midst of unspeakable destruction and hopelessness, we still reach for one another in the dark. ****

The Dark Knights

When I was 16-going-on-17, unlike my Sound of Music counterpart Leisel, I wasn't dancing around in rainy gazebos with my Nazi-wannabe boyfriend, but I sure did like them. Boys, that is. Not Nazis. Especially bad ones, or in this case, lost ones. I distinctly remember sitting in a dark movie theatre with several of my girlfriends, watching Jason Patric, Keifer Sutherland, and the other Lost Boys and I was mesmerized. I mean, I'd witnessed male beauty before. Andrew McCarthy in Pretty in Pink and Duran Duran had taken care of that. But this was different. The bad guys were just as compelling and sexy as the good guys, maybe even more... Plus, they were vampires, which I've touched upon before:

Vampires are cool. Forget the translucent skin, dire need for a tanning bed, and somewhat confusing ‘undead’ status for a moment and think about it. And just to clarify, we’re talking about the seductive vampires here, like Chris Sarandon in Fright Night, Stuart Townsend in Queen of the Damned, and Gerard Butler in Dracula 2000, not the bald, nasty bat-like things they turn into if you pour too much holy water on them, or the Nosferatu type. {shudder} Definitely not that kind. I’m talking about the graceful, cat-like, sense-enhanced kind, who wear dark clothes and pay a lot of attention to your neckline. Maybe that’s it, the whole neck thing - I mean, isn’t the vampire’s ‘kiss’ really just the mother of all hickeys? I don’t know about you, but I can think of a lot worse ways to go than having a gorgeous stranger go to town on my neck for an indefinite amount of time. There’s also the enhanced strength, hypnotic and telepathic abilities, and let’s be honest, these people know how to dress. Silk and velvet, flowing cloaks, scarlet lips, and classic black all around – elegant and sophisticated. It’s not just the bad lighting that keeps them out of Wal-Mart. And they’re smart, too. Think about it – they stay out of the sun and they’re immortal – coincidence? I think not. Their aversion to garlic implies that oral hygiene is a priority, and the fact that they can look so good without ever having to check in a mirror is well, impressive, to say the least. And from all the films and books that have been dedicated to them, I’m guessing that I’m not alone in my observations, either.

So when I heard recently that they had cast Heath Ledger as The Joker, Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, along with the ever-so-lovely Christian Bale as Batman in the next Caped Crusader film, I smiled to myself. Because 20 years later, the fight between the good guys and the bad guys rages on. And I just hate choosing sides, don’t you…?

Rock Stars

For anyone else who finds themselves somewhat addicted to Rock Star: Supernova, here's how I'm presently ranking the final 7 (in decreasing order of suckiness):

7) Patrice - has a decent voice but I find her bland and generally unenthusiastic - hope she goes home next

6) Toby - Aussie with good pipes but doesn't seem to be as hungry for the gig as the others and there's nothing that really stands out about him to me

5) Storm - beautiful, kick-ass name, versatile performer, very supportive of her fellow competitors and strong pipes, but may not be strong enough to take it all the way (plus, Tommy Lee hits on her all the time, which isn't a good sign..)

4) Ryan - from NYC, green eyes, keeps surprising everyone, but not sure if his voice is the best fit for this particular band

3) Lukas - the only Canadian left, can pull the eye make-up thing off (like goatees, not for everyone), has the swagger and stands out, but keeps reverting to his scratchy/raspy voice, not the hidden one he blew everyone away with during his rendition of 'Creep' by Radiohead

2) Dilana - South African, pink-streaked locks, and a voice you could light a match on - if they're going to choose a female lead singer, it'll be her

1) Magni - green-eyed Icelandic contender who gave me chills with his version of Live's 'The Dolphins Cry' and has the best range of all the guys (in my opinion) - plus he has all of Iceland (and me!) behind him

Stay tuned.

Teenage Confessions

I don't think I will ever outgrow my penchant for teen love comedies, especially those based (sometimes ever-so-loosely) on Shakespeare's works and I'm not exactly sure why. It might be because they represent a time in our lives that we all still recall fondly for the most part - on the cusp of adulthood, yet still innocent in spite of the bravado, piss and vinegar we threw at the rest of the world. Or because getting good grades and the possibility of landing a date with that dreamboy/girl was what fueled most of our waking thoughts. There's a strange comfort in revisiting a time that felt so angst-ridden and full of high drama! at the time, when we look back with the 'wisdom' of adults and recognize just how earth-shattering things actually weren't. Compared to paying rent, taxes, raising children, and (shudder!) doing your own laundry, they seem pretty carefree, actually. As I recall, anyway.
The female stars of this particular genre also interest me as an aunt to 4 young nieces, as they could potentially influence them in the coming years. (Thanks again, Hollywood) So love 'em or hate 'em, here are the teen queens (in order of relevance):

5) Jessica Simpson - left behind wholesome Christian upbringing to conform to Hollywood ideal, over-controlling manager/dad, failed marriage at the tender age of 25, and more renowned for her cleavage and (put-on?) ditziness than actual talent - tied with Lindsay Lohan for tabloid- fodder potential (oh yeah, take notes, girls!)

4) Keira Knightley - seems fairly grounded all things considered and demonstrated some impressive acting chops in 'Pride & Prejudice', though she swears like a sailor and in spite of denying allegations of an eating disorder, needs to eat a freakin' burger, already!

3) Lindsay Lohan - charismatic redhead with box-office credibility and actual range, yet appears to be sadly pissing away all of her considerable potential on Cristal and excessive partying. (See, Whitney Houston)

2) Hilary Duff - cute girl with a popular TV show, followed by some tween-friendly movies and albums who actually resembled a 'real girl' (complete with invisible braces) until she too joined the Lollipop Head Brigade (when they're so skinny, their heads look like lollipops on a stick because unfortunately, YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT IN YOUR HEAD). Having an older rock star boyfriend with groupies in tow probably adds incentive, too. She's definitely the lesser of evils, though.

1) Amanda Bynes - my favourite because she looks like a girl you could have actually gone to school with; exquisite comic timing and she's smart without being bratty - the Jennifer Aniston of her time. And I'd let her babysit.

Honourable Mention: Alexis Bledel from 'Gilmore Girls' and Amber Tamblyn from 'Joan of Arcadia'

Why I Heart Superman

But first, the latest highlights...I helped stain a porch today and it actually looks prit-ty good, so I now fear that I will become a wood-nerd in addition to the comic-nerd, sci-fi nerd, and cinephile titles that I already hold...Blueberries are still in the lead as my totally-favourite summer fruit, but watermelon is closing in...Gremlins 2 is funnier than I remember (and I dare you to watch Gizmo dance to Fats Domino's 'I'm Ready' and not join in)...my almost-8-yr-old niece, Rylee is addicted to trollz.com and tried to start her own blog the other day before her mom figured out what was going on - yes, nip that in the bud right now before she decodes The Matrix and figures out the truth...the jury's still out on the dancing with long(er) hair vs. dancing with short hair debate - while it feels sexier to flip the tresses around, there's nothing stingray-whipping me in the eyes or getting stuck in my lipgloss now...and this just in: Boys STILL suck! Mostly. ;) Not sucking: the scene on 'Family Guy' in the Poltergeist spoof episode where Stewie covers Phil Collins (I cried), Bryan Singer, whom I want to hug (director of Superman Returns), and Hitler Cats (again with the crying): http://freshpics.blogspot.com/2006/06/hitler-cats_08.html

Now on to Kal-El..

In the 'old days' people actually used to clap at the the end of a film if they'd enjoyed it. I miss that. There have been times when I've braved it and sometimes been joined by more than a few others, which is a particularly heady feeling, not unlike the group euphoria you feel at a really amazing concert. And sometimes what you're watching onscreen is so riveting, so mesmerizing that you simply forget to care. That's what happened to me last Wednesday. I went in not expecting to be disappointed at least, mainly due to the fact that Bryan Singer was directing and he'd already shown me two pretty kick-ass X-Men films. But I was blown away. Truly. 'Animated' doesn't even cover my reactions to this film. I gasped, laughed, clapped, shuddered, made erratic hand motions and most surprisingly, I cried. More than once, in fact. Not only was it more moving than I would have expected from a 'comic-book movie', but it was funny, smart, engaging, and made me wonder. I love that. I even enjoyed Kate Bosworth's Lois Lane and I'm not usually a fan. Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor and his henchmen were especially hateful and who would've thought a kid from Iowa with a mere soap opera on his resume would prove to so worthily super-sede Christopher Reeve. Wow. Heroes fascinate us. It's why we read comics and always cheer for the good guy. Because he is strong and brave and will always save us..if he can. And let's face it - it's a pretty thankless job most of the time. So, why do we still love Superman after 70-odd years and countless reincarnations? Because sometimes an alien can be more human than any of us.
Superman Returns gets *****

Hello, Wavebabies!

Must-Have Summer Downloads:

'Crazy' - Gnarls Barkley
'Is It Any Wonder?' - Keane
'Edge of the Ocean' - Ivy
'Spooky' - Imogen Heap
'Flawed Design' - Stabilo
'Feel Good Inc.' - Gorillaz
'Sad Eyes' - Josh Rouse
'Beep' - Pussycat Dolls f. Will.i.am
'Crazy' - Alanis Morissette
'Son's Gonna Rise' - Citizen Cope

Quotes of the Week (on marriage):

"My mom's always asking me, 'When will you finally get married?' And I always say, 'When I find a man who has more balls than me.'"
- Salma Hayek

"I've been married five times and people think that's some bizarre thing, and yet I've got buddies who refuse to get married and [have sex with] 15 people a week. I'm like: which is better? At least I'm trying."
- Billy Bob Thornton

Summer TV Obsession: 'Rockstar: Supernova' (Tues/Wed night on CBS) - Slash is going to be a guest-judge. 'Nuff said.

Random Quote #1:

"If you didn't have adult-onset diabetes, I wouldn't mind giving you a little sugar."
- Gob flirting with the elderly on Arrested Development

Best Song Title: 'Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth' (by The Dandy Warhols)

Embarrassing Song I Love: 'What's Left of Me' - Nick Lachey

Random Quote #2:

"'Straight Up', and I would sing it right to Paula Abdul."
- Kathy Griffin, when asked what her American Idol audition song would be

'Celebrities' Who Gross Me Out: Uncle Kracker, the creepy female comm. officer on Battlestar Galactica and the Cryptkeeper

What the he--..?
(letters submitted to TV Guide in answer to what readers' favourite car from a TV series would be)

"One hundred percent, without a doubt, I would much rather drive Knight Rider's KITT car than the General Lee. KITT was Michael's best friend. The car took care of Michael and cared what happened to him. And it was always there for Michael. If I could drive KITT, I just know the car would be there for me too! General Lee is just an orange car, and one that you can't even open the doors!"
- Angela C. Wong, Nanaimo, BC

"I am 26 years old now, but when I was four I had a General Lee pedal car with sound effects. I used to drive it up and down the sidewalk from morning til bedtime. I would honk my "Dixie" horn, and the neighbours would come out and put cookies in my trunk. Thanks for the memories, TV Guide."
- Jeff Murray, St. Catharines, ON

Summer Movie Reviews:

Mission: Impossible 3 - I tend to follow directors as often as I do actors, so I was willing to follow the man who brought me Felicity and Alias because he hasn't disappointed me yet. The action scenes were great, especially the airborne windmill scene, and Maggie Q and Jonathan Rhys-Myers are lovely eye-candy. And is Mr. Cruise a nutbar in real life? Most probably, but I still enjoy watching him on screen. His forearms get **** and the movie gets ***.

Stick It - From the director of Bring It On, which exceeded my low expectations unbelievably, comes this equally fun and silly feel-good pile of fluffy gymnastic goodness. Jeff Bridges plays the coach and I for one have missed him. I laughed out loud, I grooved in my seat and I cheered - and that my friends, is what summer is all about. ***1/2

The Da Vinci Code - For starters, I didn't read the book. And I could care less. The film was a bit confusing and convoluted at first, but I caught on. The main draw for me was Paul Bettany, whom I would watch in just about anything, as the albino monk, Silas. Prior to seeing the film, I dreamt I was hanging out with the cast and Bettany's real-life wife, Jennifer Connelly. They were both very gracious and warm, while Tom Hanks was quite aloof and unimpressive. Perhaps this influenced my decision, as I found myself not-as-impressed-as-usual with the usually constant Mr. Hanks. Though in all fairness, his hair wasn't that bad. I didn't find it offensive or controversial at all, merely interesting. In spite of a religious upbringing (or perhaps because of it), I always find myself fascinated by the theological beliefs and theories of others and this brought up some spiritual food for thought. The Catholic-baiters get **1/2

X-Men: The Last Stand - As a comic geek, I was really looking forward to this one - the previous films were exceptional, but they were also helmed by Bryan Singer (whose Superman Returns is getting great buzz) and I should've known that a director whose resume includes the Rush Hour films would probably have his head pretty far up his a--. There were some cool special effects, yes. Kelsey Grammer as Beast was fun to watch, yes. And I enjoyed the always-surprising Ben Foster as Angel, though he was barely in it. And no Gambit - what the ----?? Now, I could sit here here and regale you with all of the bits of X-Men lore that Brett Ratner totally ignored or screwed up, or I could just let a fellow geek speak for me: http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=23420
Ratner's pile of steaming super-poo gets **

Nacho Libre - There were funny parts and silly parts and a definite Napoleon-vibe (love the 70s sweater-shirts!), but overall, it felt like Jack Black was holding back and not being, well, Jack Black. And when you're that endearingly zany and maniacal, it's a crying shame. **1/2

That's all for now. Eat all your watermelon, kids!

Aloha

I love the word 'aloha' because it means both hello and goodbye. Very fitting at this moment. I'm feeling rather bittersweet about putting my little Owl to bed, but as my friend says, "It's a new era." So without further ado, welcome to Verbosity...