You May Want to (Read) This: How YouTube and Internet Journalism Destroyed Tom Cruise, Our Last Real Movie Star

"Cruise's present-day, crowd-pleasing action crutch hasn't been bad. He's given every film his all, and some of them have been quite good.

His latest, Edge of Tomorrow, is ambitious fun. Cruise plays Lt. Col. Bill Cage, a smooth-talking, cowardly Army recruiter forced to fight on the front lines of mankind's make-or-break battle against alien species the Mimics. No one expects him to live more than a few minutes. And he doesn't.

But Edge of Tomorrow's high-concept twist is that, to his surprise, every time Cruise is killed, time resets and he wakes up the day before the battle, alive and eager to try again until he gets it right. It's an energetic blockbuster that balances Wile E. Coyote cartoon hijinks with his painful, unending martyrdom. It's also a nifty parallel to Cruise himself: the last great screen hero who refuses to die."

(source)

You can read the full piece HERE<<

Let's Have a Good Weekend, Shall We?

It's Friday! And despite the long, stressful, sick week I've had - I'm in a good mood. Happy and (on the road to being) healthy and looking forward to a mostly warm, mild weekend. Family, friends, and lots of food in my future.

Let's enjoy some of my favorite dancing/music scenes, shall we?

Because I F@%$!&G Love Movies!

A few months ago, I saw a post by Adam, also known as Avitable, or as I like to to call him The Guy Who Gets Real Creative With His Balls Around the Holidays. Anyway, I saw this post about movies and I was inspired. Isn't that the way it always goes?

He saw a post somewhere else, then he did his own thing.

I saw his post somewhere else, now I'm doing my own thing.

Get it?

So without further ado, here are some reasons I love movies. (Clicking on the link will take you either to a video clip or the movie's IMDB info - if you'd like to be creative and guess which movie is which, leave me a comment below. And be sure to let me know if you do a similar post on your own site!)

Because you can die, too, for all I care.

Because it's not a space shuttle launch, it's sex.

Because I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.

Because  if you tell anyone about this, especially your brothers, I'll beat the shit out of you.

Because face it, girls, I'm older and I have more insurance. 

Because I'd like to get my hands on her "ample nacelles," if you pardon the engineering parlance...

Because I tell the swamp donkey to sock it before I give her a trunky in the tradesman's entrance and have her lick me yarbles!

Because you're a virgin who can't drive.

Because I never miss. 

Because this is my happy face. 

Because I could shoot you in the middle of Mardi Gras, and they couldn't touch me. 

Because I am sick to death of this whole center of the universe, holier than thou, nothing is ever enough. Oh, how I've suffered, nobody understands me. Somebody fix me a drink and hand me a Nebutol, worn out Scarlett O'Hara... thang!

Because there's nothing wrong with my face! I got character!

Because this is a house of learned doctors.

Because I'm not Josie Grossie anymore!

Because this is one doodle that can be un-did, Homeskillet.

Because a mental mind-fuck can be nice.

Because it's called a lance, hello!

Because he's gonna be very popular.

Because God, I just wish I could get it back.

Because I'm not afraid to hurt your feelings.

Because that's my boat.

Because it's not everyday you find a girl who'll flash someone to get you out of detention.

Because why don't you make like a tree and get the fuck outta here.

Because last week he wanted to marry her; now he wants to have her committed.

Because cragged salt like a sailor's stubble! Flip the switch and let the cauldron bubble!

Because I'm a cross-dressing homosexual pacifist with a spot on my lung.


This post was a lot of fun (and months in the making) so expect some more down the road! 

I say "like" and "soundtrack" way too much, but I really did like this soundtrack.

You know how sometimes you get excited about seeing a movie, but then it's kind of a total letdown? But you don't feel so bad about wasting nearly two hours of your life because at least you got to see a little bit of action and listen to a pretty rad soundtrack.

Enter: The Lucky One.

Zac Efron just isn't my cup of tea. And Nicholas Sparks movies are pretty unbelievable and unrealistic. I liked some of his earlier stuff (A Walk to Remember and The Notebook) but the past few years I've really lost interest in his books/movies (Dear John, The Last Song, etc.)

So, yeah, The Lucky One is a "meh" movie. It's alright. Nothing spectacular. Nothing I'd really sit down and watch again. That is unless I really was in the mood to listen to the soundtrack.

Because the soundtrack? Oh my god, the soundtrack. Yeah, it's that good.

My favorite pick?

I know Dobby had a favorite and Cassie told me her favorite (sorry I can't remember girls!) but I think we all walked away liking at least one of the songs.

From the soundtrack. Did I mention it's the soundtrack? Yeah, The Lucky One soundtrack.

Go buy it. Now.


Soundtrack. 

Don't Bother Telling Me to Grow Up: My First Declaration of Love for Norman Reedus

I don't think I've mentioned this here on the blog yet, so I'm just going to get it out there.

Completely random and pointless, but I feel like you need to be kept abreast of all my current obsessions. Because I know y'all live to read about that sort of thing, right? Right.

I have a deep, unwavering and newfound love for Norman Reedus. There, I said it. I'm obsessed. Just like those teenage girls falling over their feet for One Direction.

Norman Reedus is my One Direction.

It all started with the Walking Dead. Justin got into that show after watching season one on Netflix. I watched a few episodes but didn't really think much of it. Then, it just sort of grew on me. Now, we watch it religiously.

And from that show stemmed my love for Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus' character, obviously) - and now, I spend too many minutes hours days looking through the archives of Tumblr and Google images just staring at this beautiful creature.

(source)

Let's face it, you can't NOT love him. And if you happen to not love him, well then, just move along. You and I can't be friends, sorry.

Night before last, a good buddy let me borrow The Boondock Saints - and now my life is complete.

I want to consume every movie, show, thing he's ever done - the good, bad and ugly. Because as long as Norman Reedus plays a part in it, it can't be all bad.

I think I've watched Lady Gaga's "Judas" video about 10,000 times now. It's not my favorite song, but hey, I'll give you one guess who's in it.

And I'm desperately trying to find some sort of convention within a 500-mile radius of me where NR will be speaking. Just so I can be a total fangirl and *maybe* someday get a picture with/of/near him. Any of him. All of him.

Yes, my husband is aware of my obsession. And while he may not understand, at least I've got his approval. As long as we get to keep watching The Walking Dead non-stop.

Yes, please. This scene here?

My god. I have a secret hope for Daryl + Carol. Justin thinks I'm crazy for seeing anything happening with these two. But I see it. It will happen. Sooner or later.

So, there you have it. My unabashed, completely ridiculous lovefest for Norman Reedus. Yes, I'm a twenty-three year old married mother-of-two. But I can still crush on celebrities like I'm 12 years old.

AND LOVING IT. 

Book in Review: The Hunger Games

Over Christmas I was able to jump on all kinds of shiny, new bandwagons!

I got a Kindle Fire (thank you, Momma)! And I bought some books (thank you, Husband)! And I managed to read one of those books (thank you, babies that nap)!

First up: I jumped on The Hunger Games bandwagon and proceeded to tear through the first book like my life depended on it. One word conclusion: awesomesauce.

Have you read The Hunger Games? How long did it take you to finish the other two books, Catching Fire and Mockingjay? I went ahead and bought the other two books so I can finish them at my leisure (which I'm hoping will be this long four-day weekend). I was tempted to start Catching Fire last night, but I knew I'd stay up way too late reading and there'd be hell to pay today.

According to Amazon, The Hunger Games is summarized as so:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.

 Things I liked about The Hunger Games:
-Nonstop, back and forth, good-old-fashioned suspense
-Love triangle
-Easy to relate to the heroine, who is from the Appalachian district that represents the coal mines
-The amazing way the author describes every single meal in the book
-Futuristic
-Easy to read and comprehend

I'm planning on starting Catching Fire tonight, and I'm sure I'll have you a quick recap then as well. I'm dying to know more about the relationship between Katniss and Peeta. What happens to Haymitch? I can't wait to read about that first meeting between Katniss and Gale! There are so many unanswered questions I have and scenarios to play out, what will happen next?!

Here's the trailer for the movie that opens March 23rd, 2012:


Side note: When I first heard Liam Hemsworth had been cast in this movie, I could've cared less. Then I read the book, and my heart cried, "No!" - he'll ruin the role of Peeta (my first worry was that they cast him as Peeta) and then the movie will be a dud and I'll be devastated. Luckily, he's playing Gale - which won't be such of a big deal in this movie, but if they make the next two books into movies, I have a feeling he'll have a much bigger part. I really hope he delivers, 'cause I have zero faith in the boy after watching that ghastly movie with Miley Cyrus.


So tell me, are you a fan of The Hunger Games series? Which one was your favorite? Will I be disappointed? How will it all end?!?!

the perfect words.

"Sometimes we love people so much that we have to be numb to it. Because if we actually felt how much we love them, it would kill us. That doesn't make you a bad person. It just means your heart's too big." -- Riding in Cars With Boys

I like to think that pretty much sums up how I've been feeling for nearly the last six months. I'm so grateful for the ability to look back on the past, even the recent past, and see how far I've come. It gives me hope to imagine how much farther I can go yet. 

the qualified review of Breaking Dawn: Part One by an unqualified reviewer

I'm writing this now (Saturday night, 10:45) while the memory is fresh in my head. I've just gotten home from Kingsport, the girls asleep and my head filled with the fuzzy, warm memories of a good night at the movies. Save for our horrible experience at dinner, this evening was perfect. Me, six of my girlfriends and one feller who got roped in (sorry, Gerald!) all sat our butts down at 6:30 tonight to watch THE movie I've been waiting to see for over a year now...Breaking Dawn: Part One. Here is my unofficial official review.

Let me start by saying, I'm obviously a huge fan of this movie. I have several other posts here on the blog dedicated to all things Twilight. I knew what to expect of this movie. I knew what I wanted to see and could only hope the movie delivered.

The movie mostly delivered. Breaking Dawn, the book, was hard to read in my opinion. It felt like I was all over the place getting three different viewpoints on the same story, and I could barely keep up. Not easy or fun for me. The movie, thankfully, is still mostly from Bella's viewpoint, although I was glad to see Jacob's POV was fairly represented in the movie. For me, that was the best part of the book. I enjoyed seeing things through Jacob's viewfinder much better than through Bella's. In the scene where Jacob sees Rennesme for the first time, I could hear Jacob's words echoing in my mind about feeling the "cables" pulling at his heart. I, for one, was very glad to see the werewolf side of the story shown more in this movie than in others.

The big honeymoon scene everyone was just dying to see? Meh. It obviously would've been a thousand times better if they would've kept the "R" rating instead of "PG-13", but still that wouldn't have helped out a whole lot. It feels almost awkward to watch Bella & Edward "love" scenes now. It's almost like I know them too well, it's too personal - maybe it was because we were sitting in the very front row, but I just felt like I was their friend spying on them. It wasn't comfortable. That could also be due to Dobby's wonderful masturbating comments during the ocean scene (commenting on how Edward looked like he was "whacking off", not that Dobby was masturbating during the movie or anything - just to clarify).

I laughed a lot during the movie, Dobby cried a lot. I think Samantha was just mostly bored. Miranda kept having to speak the dialogue for Meghan who couldn't hear. I think Gerald was suprised by how much he didn't hate the movie. And Cassie was keeping bets on if/when Dobby would cry during the movie. Pretty typical stuff, I'd say.

The birthing scene was rough - like, so rough I couldn't watch most of it. Maybe it's the fact that I just gave birth myself less than six months ago, or maybe it's the fact that I couldn't stand to see Edward ripping through Bella's placenta with his mouth...there was just something off putting about the whole thing. I was glad to see the scene given it's due with gore, however, because the book explained it in great detail, too, from what I recall.

Also, mad props to whoever was in charge of special effects for Bella. Emaciated isn't even the word, girl looked like a walking corpse. They did an amazing job on that, I give them credit!

The scenery in this movie was gorgeous, especially the wedding scene. Dress was "meh" for me too, especially being Carolina Herrera (is that correct? someone check me) but the back of the dress was divine. Charlie was usual funny Charlie, his is a character that needs more screen time in my book.

The wolfpack was good as always, hot and tan and sexy and brooding. Like I said before, I was glad to see their side of the story shared more in this movie. Maybe it's just 'cause I've always been a Team Jacob girl, I just appreciate me some werewolves.

The dialogue in the movie kind of killed me - wasn't exactly what I'd expect from the second to last movie. You'd think they'd be able to hire the best of the best when it comes to screenwriters but damn if they don't keep choosing the most awkward and "hit or miss" writers ever. Some parts were spot on and others felt really uncomfortable (hello, wedding speech scene).

All in all, it was a good movie. Exactly what I've come to expect from this franchise with little to no suprises. I felt it was a true representation of the book for the most part, and I saw almost everything I wanted to see play out on screen just like I wanted to see it. The next movie will be all battle and angst and "will they make it or won't they?" even though we all know how it ends. Honestly, who hasn't read the books by now? Why do these Hollywood directors think they can make us worry about the fate of any of the characters WHEN WE ALREADY KNOW.

Unless they change the story from the book and then I predict Twilight fans will rebel and riot all across the world. Have you seen Breaking Dawn? What did you think?

weekend funny stuff

[NSFW]


Have you seen Adventureland yet? If you haven't, you're definitely missing out.

Hope you have a good weekend!

wait, people go the theaters to see movies?

It's been awhile since I last went to the movies, maybe Paranormal Activity 2? I'm not sure...and it'll probably be more time yet before I go back to the movies. You know, new baby and all that. But I'm still trying to keep up with what's coming out to theaters soon, just in case something looks totally awesome enough to steal me away for a few hours.

(Sidenote: I'm a huge movie fan, can't get enough of them - good, bad and in between. I have zero problem going to the theaters alone if I have to, like I did the third time I saw Avatar, because I'm that big a movie fanatic. I've been catching up on the classics, like Gone With the Wind and An Affair to Remember via Netflix while I'm home on maternity leave!)

Here are some movies coming out in the not too distant future that have caught my eye - what are you excited about seeing soon? Anything I have to/need to see - new, old, whatever? I love movie (and book) recommendations!

Twilight: Breaking Dawn (Nov. 18th)

Well, duh! Anyone who's ever read this blog should know about my obsession with all things Twilight.

Three Musketeers (Oct. 14th)

I'm not in love with 3D movies, so hopefully I can find one that isn't - but OMG, I love this entire story, every version ever made of this story (although the Kiefer Sutherland.Charlie Sheen/Oliver Platt/Chris O'Donnell one is my favorite!) and I'm really in love with Matthew MacFadyen after watching Pride & Prejudice one too many times lately. SO. EXCITED.

Our Idiot Brother (Aug. 26th)

How cute is Paul Rudd?! And I love Steve Coogan (been mad for him since I watched Hamlet 2) and Zooey Deschanel (hello, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!), so this movie looks like a win-win for me. Plus it comes out on my Mom's birthday, so maybe she and I can have a girl's movie date!

Grave Encounters (Aug. 25th)

Holy crap, this movie has just about everything I love in a scary movie! I love the style of these movies, have ever since the original Blair Witch Project came out. And I love anything to do with abandoned buildings, specifically mental institutions. This is a win/win kind of movie for me, one I've definitely got to go see with Dobby!

Brave (June 22, 2012)

It'll be awhile before this comes out, but I can't wait to take SidMo to see it - it's the first Pixar animated film to feature a female lead and heroine! So excited!

slightly sappy

One really awesome perk of maternity leave? The opportunity to watch lots of awesomely good (and awesomely bad) movies!

I've spent way too much time enamored with "Mr. Darcy" and Pride & Prejudice (hello, Matthew Macfadyen) - it's my constant companion during the 3AM feedings. Earlier I cried all over RJ watching Steel Magnolias. I just knew that my girls would be leaving me tomorrow for some man to get married and leave me forever. Totally irrational. I also finally got around to watching My Best Friend's Wedding, and I know I'm only 14 years late. But ohmigod, do I love it or do I love it?!?!

I think it's the post-pregnancy hormones or something. I'm a puddle of love and mush and total girly sappiness, which is completely not me. I'm the anti-chick flick kind of gal. Most of the time. But who can resist this:

Bring on the campy and the sweet and the cheesy. I'm ALL about it these days!

to be married

Married life.

Everything you'd ever need to know wrapped up in an animated kid's movie clip that's less than five minutes long. When Sidney asks me what married life is like someday, I'm going to make her watch this clip over and over again.



It really is that sweet. And amazing. And hard. And up. And down. It really, really is.

And it's all worth it.

RIP Elizabeth Taylor

Just yesterday I was reading something about how there's a potential "Cleopatra" remake in the works & so far, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are the front-runners to take over the roles Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton made famous. And I thought to myself, "why would they even go there?"

Who could ever try to out-do Elizabeth Taylor?

Who would ever want to? RIP, Elizabeth Taylor - you were the last of your kind.

there's some sweetness going around

I've watched this movie with SidMo (and sometimes without) for about 15 days straight. Every single day. And I cry every single time.

I think it's safe to say the ever-wonderful "pregnancy hormones" are driving me crazy. (Don't even get me started on what happens when we watch this movie.)

Oh, and I might have gestastional diabetes. I go back Wednesday for more testing, so wish me luck!

paranormal fail? maybe

Ok, so y'all know I like the movie Paranormal Activity right? I mean, I've written about it here before.

Well I saw the trailer for Paranormal Activity 2 during the previews before Eclipse the other night, and I have to admit, it got my blood racing a little. I thoroughly enjoyed the first one, and while most horror-movie sequels suck, this one looks decent.

Kids are the scariest thing ever (remind me to tell you about how I think my kid is in tune with the supernatural, no scary or silly stuff, I just really think she's got the *gift*). So any scary movie involving kids has the power to make me cower in fear.

I checked out this trailer again today and something caught my eye. Right around the 0:55 mark you see the "demon" standing in the doorway. You see the reflection of the room in the mirror at the top of the screen. You see the baby standing up in the crib. But when you look at the actual crib in the room, the baby is gone. (Check it out - if you're too scared to watch the trailer, you can still see what I'm talking about in the screen capture below)

Now does this mean the baby is the "demon"? Does it mean the mirror is some portal between the worlds? I really don't know, and honestly, I think it was just bad editing. A goof. Something you'd see on the pages of Photoshop Disasters.

But only time will tell. I just hope this movie is as good as the first one, true to the basic idea of what fear really is and the little things you need to make one scary movie: modest budget, simple idea - solid story.

today is the day, or rather tomorrow is the day

Or should I say tonight at midnight is the day?

Whatever.

For all you Twilight loving individuals out there, you know that Eclipse comes out tonight at midnight. And yes, I'll be one of the millions of gals going out to the theater tonight - with my three best girlfriends and my boss.

Tomorrow will be painful at work, yes I know. But it will be worth it just to see the "tent scene" tonight. I fully expect to spend the next week talking and drooling over and fantasizing about Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner).

Because you know he's 18 now. And I can do that legally as much as I want to (ain't that right, Spoke?!)!!!

RAWR.

if you hear this song and think of Napoleon Dynamite you obviously suck

Yesterday was my Dad's 46th birthday.

And while there's a multitude of songs out there that remind me of him (Santana's "Smooth" for example, seeing as how he used to sing the lyrics "or else forget about it" incorrectly as "horace forget about it"), this particular song by Bette Midler from the move also called "The Rose" makes me think of him everytime.

He used to say the words before she would sing them, all the while his right hand would be conducting the music in the air, making a dozen swirls in the front seat of whatever car he was driving at the time.

Happy Birthday Dad, I hope you had a wonderful one.

And because I can't find the picture of my Dad I'm searching for, here's a picture of one of his many gorgeous roses from last year.

Paranormal Activity

I haven't done a movie review in awhile, but I want to review this one: Paranormal Activity.

Have you seen it? It was first released in 2007 to very few audiences and theaters. Then in 2009 it was released again and again, it was only released to a few select theaters. But by word of mouth and the power of the internet, people were able to demand the movie and eventually, it hit theaters everywhere. This movie is incredibly successful. It was made with a budget of 15,000-20,000 dollars and has since earned over 100 million dollers. CRAZY! I mean, think about it. The numbers are astonishing.

And this movie works - it is scary because it's based on the simple fear we all have, the fear we feel as children and adults. The fear of the unknown, the bumps in the night, the scary dark corners of our houses and rooms. There is no music in the film, no forewarning of when scary moments are to come. There are very few special effects and they are so minimal, that the entire movie feels real. And for a long time, a lot of people thought it was real (much like the Blair Witch Project). This movie is great, in the sense that it was made on a modest budget with a simple idea. And like I said, it just works.

If you believed in this kind of thing, then it's ten times scarier. It could happen to anyone. It could happen at any time. Any and every noise in your house could start to terrify you. It's a scary freaking concept.

I watched this movie twice, back to back. The first time I was a little freaked out, I'll admit. I took advantage of watching it at home, and hit my mute button a few times. The second time, I watched. I listened. And not just on low volume, I turned it up to experience the full effect. Because that's an important part of this movie. You have to rely on your ears sometimes more than your eyes. If you just try to "watch" and not "listen" you'll miss out. I'm guilty of not watching and not listening to movies sometimes, but trust me, you just need to keep your ears and eyes open.

The end is the creepiest part of this movie, as it should be with all scary movies. They shouldn't peak in the middle and then platuea out towards the end. The suspense is built perfectly in this movie, with most things happening at night and most things happening in the dark. But the last thirty minutes or so really get to you. They push you mentally, and then it's over abruptly and you don't have any time to calm yourself down. It's exhilirating.

There are of course a dozen or more deleted scenes, different endings, alternate viewings. And this makes for all the more interesting movie-watching. I'm always hunting down parts I missed or endings I haven't seen. They were able to shoot all sorts of different things in the two years between it's first and final release. And so there's all sorts of goodies on the internet waiting for you if you really get into this movie.

Now, if you haven't seen this movie and I've ruined something, I'm sorry. But surely to goodness, if you wanted to see it and you haven't by now, then that's not my fault.

I was totally delighted to learn, through a little research this weekend, that the actors from this movie, Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat, are actually a couple in real life. You can find them on twitter @katiedianne and @micahsloat - very cool stuff. They're both really passionate about this movie, and I think I love the movie even more seeing how much time, work, and love they put into this film.

It's a classic horror movie, one I could watch over and over again, and still get freaked out every single time. Have you seen Paranormal Activity? You should, it's a good and scary one. However, I don't recommend watching it alone. I had to let the dogs in to sleep with me Friday night. Being home alone with this movie will seriously freak you out!

ABADAH!!!!

Today is Thursday.

Today is Earth Day.

Do you know what that means? AVATAR is out on DVD!!!

Yes, I should get more excited about being green and helping to protect and save our Mother Earth - but for the moment, I am tickled pink blue just thinking about getting to see Avatar again (for the 4th time, if you were keeping track) this evening.

Y'all know I love me some Avatar.

I've cleaned my entire calendar for this weekend for the sole purpose of sitting in front of my TV staring at Jake Sully (Sam Worthington). You may think I'm kidding, but for real, I'm not. Promise. Pinky promise.

Have you seen Avatar? Because you should - because regardless of what a pompous asshole James Cameron is, no matter how sick you may be of seeing the commercials stating you can own THE #1 MOVIE OF ALL TIME!, it really is a good movie. Really, I promise.

(Even though my husband would swear on a stack of bibles it's the the #1 WORST MOVIE OF ALL TIME!)

Roger Ebert said pretty much what I'm trying to say here.

You know where you can find me this weekend, although if you call in the middle of the "My Jake" scene, I might cut you. I mean it.

*ABADAH is AVATAR - did you see the Oscars? The Govenator (you know Ahh-nold) kep saying Avatar like that AH-BAH-DAH. Crazy accent. It kind of stuck with me. That's probably not very funny at all, is it?*

stolen body? say it ain't so Jacob Black

(source)

I really hope this is just some kind of freaky coincidence - 'cause lord knows I love to stare at some Jacob Black semi-naked body. And to think it's fake in a lot of promo pictures is sad (but his body was still hot in the movie, so that's comforting). Either way, I'm still Team Jacob and still in love.

How many days 'til Eclipse comes out?