It is rare that The Dude and I actually make time to see a movie. We always say, 'we should go see that,' but usually we forget about it and, six months later, we see it at Blockbuster. When we went to see the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie, we saw a preview for Spiderman 3. Despite all of the estrogen in my body, I have a soft spot for movies where 'shit blows up' as The Dude likes to put it. So, we made plans to see Spiderman 3 upon its release. The only problem is that we'd never seen Spiderman 2. So, The Dude procured it from Blockbuster, it sat on our TV for two weeks, he took it back and rented it again (along with Die Hard).
Last night we watched it.
Why does Kirsten Dunst always look like her dog died? I mean, I get that Mary-Jane is supposed to have the weight of the world on her shoulders and all that, but still...it doesn't show a good range of acting.
Overall, I liked it. I'm not very good at suspending my disbelief, though, so there were some parts that I ended up not liking very much. Basically, I didn't like the inconsistency in the MJ-Peter Parker friendship. She kept talking about how they'd always been friends, but in the beginning of the first Spiderman movie, she barely knew his name.
The special effects were good, but not great. The mark of a good computer-based special effect, for me, is that you can't immediately say 'gee, that was obviously done with a Green Screen.' I have low standards--I know this.
Toby Maguire did right by Peter Parker, I thought. He expressed Parker's confusion, sadness, and determination honestly and with integrity. I should say that I have loved Maguire for quite a while, so seeing him get lots of screen time (some of it with his shirt off) is so exciting to me.
The Dude noticed the dearth of screaming women. He's right--there were a lot of screaming women.
And Kirsten Dunst's nipples made a cameo.
Overall, I enjoyed Spiderman 2. Tonight we're going to see Spiderman 3. It seems like a lot of Spiderman, but I'm game...
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Obviously Mrs. Dude got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning...
I feel like the old man sitting on the front porch of his house shaking his fist and swearing at the young folks. Still, it's not going to stop me from griping.
Two things:
1. Amy Winehouse is the new "it girl" in music. I'll admit that the song "Rehab" is catchy. And what smacks or irony more than a song about rehab set to a catchy beat? Not much, I say. Anyway, when listening to her single "You know I'm no good" on my way to work, I was reminded of my issue with Amy Winehouse. Katherine Whalen did what Amy Winehouse is doing now, only Katherine Whalen did it better.
Who's Katherine Whalen, you're probably wondering. She was the female vocalist for the swing-revival band Squirrel Nut Zippers. After the band broke up (did you know they got back together?), Whalen developed a solo career. Katherine Whalen's voice is rich and layered, sultry and husky, sweet and soulful. And, while Amy Winehouse isn't a slouch, I have a hard time finding the depth in her voice the way I do in Whalen's. So, if you dig Amy Winehouse's album, you should look into Whalen's newest album "Dirty little secret" or, better yet, check out the Squirrel Nut Zipper's 1997 album "Hot."
2. I'm okay with bands doing covers. In fact, there have been a lot of covers that have been fantastic. One of my favorite Better Than Ezra songs is their cover of the James song "Laid." But have you heard the Green Day cover of the Who's "My Generation?" It's awful. My feeling on covers is that if you don't have something interesting to bring to the song, seriously consider why you've decided to cover it. The Green Day song actually takes away from what The Who did with it. It's raw and stripped down, which I appreciated as a nod to the punk aesthetic that influences them. But it just isn't sung well. To me, there's a difference between Eddie Vedder knowing he can't hit all of the notes in "Reign O'er Me" and Billy Joe just not trying to hit the notes in "My generation." Maybe there's supposed to be some irony in an aging rockstar singing about he'd rather die than get old...
Two things:
1. Amy Winehouse is the new "it girl" in music. I'll admit that the song "Rehab" is catchy. And what smacks or irony more than a song about rehab set to a catchy beat? Not much, I say. Anyway, when listening to her single "You know I'm no good" on my way to work, I was reminded of my issue with Amy Winehouse. Katherine Whalen did what Amy Winehouse is doing now, only Katherine Whalen did it better.
Who's Katherine Whalen, you're probably wondering. She was the female vocalist for the swing-revival band Squirrel Nut Zippers. After the band broke up (did you know they got back together?), Whalen developed a solo career. Katherine Whalen's voice is rich and layered, sultry and husky, sweet and soulful. And, while Amy Winehouse isn't a slouch, I have a hard time finding the depth in her voice the way I do in Whalen's. So, if you dig Amy Winehouse's album, you should look into Whalen's newest album "Dirty little secret" or, better yet, check out the Squirrel Nut Zipper's 1997 album "Hot."
2. I'm okay with bands doing covers. In fact, there have been a lot of covers that have been fantastic. One of my favorite Better Than Ezra songs is their cover of the James song "Laid." But have you heard the Green Day cover of the Who's "My Generation?" It's awful. My feeling on covers is that if you don't have something interesting to bring to the song, seriously consider why you've decided to cover it. The Green Day song actually takes away from what The Who did with it. It's raw and stripped down, which I appreciated as a nod to the punk aesthetic that influences them. But it just isn't sung well. To me, there's a difference between Eddie Vedder knowing he can't hit all of the notes in "Reign O'er Me" and Billy Joe just not trying to hit the notes in "My generation." Maybe there's supposed to be some irony in an aging rockstar singing about he'd rather die than get old...
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Hot stuff by Carly Phillips
There's this bookstore near my house. Most of what it sells is mass-market paperbacks. Yes, there are a few hardcovers and a few nicer paperbacks. But mostly, the shelves are full of mass-market paperbacks. Most of these paperbacks are romance novels. What I have learned about romance novels is that they are fun and easy to read. I sometimes feel a sense of shame that I enjoy romance novels so much. I know, as a librarian, that this is stupid; people should read what makes them happy. I like reading books with happy endings. And nothing gives you a happy ending like a romance novel.
I picked up the title "Hot stuff" in this bookstore. It is the first title in the "Hot Zone" series. I hadn't ever read anything by Carly Phillips, so this was uncharted territory for me.
Hot stuff centers around the eldest of three sisters who were orphaned when their parents died and who were sent to live with their Uncle Yank. Yank Morgan owns and operates a PR firm that specializes in athletes and his three nieces joined the family business after finishing their education.
In this title, Annabelle is paired with former pro-football player Brandon Vaughn. Vaughn was a former client of Yank's until his money-grubbing ex-wife chose a different PR firm for Vaughn while he was recovering from surgery and loopy on meds.
Vaughn comes crawling back to Hot Zone (and Yank) with his tail between his legs needing their services. See, he's trying to build a lodge in his hometown. He wants to build a resort for the wealthy and he wants to use the profits to fund his real dream--a camp for kids with learning disabilities. The problem is that someone doesn't want Vaughn to succeed.
Lovesick Annabelle is the victim of some not-so-subtle matchmaking from her family and reluctantly takes the assignment to work with Vaughn. Hilarity and romance ensues . And, at the end of the story, everyone gets to live happily ever after.
I enjoyed this title. It was fairly well written and had just enough intrigue to get me through the graphic sex scenes. Now, I don't consider myself a prude, but I did find myself blushing a little when Phillips talked about various characters and their sexual activities.
Overall, though, it was a fun and fluffy read.
I picked up the title "Hot stuff" in this bookstore. It is the first title in the "Hot Zone" series. I hadn't ever read anything by Carly Phillips, so this was uncharted territory for me.
Hot stuff centers around the eldest of three sisters who were orphaned when their parents died and who were sent to live with their Uncle Yank. Yank Morgan owns and operates a PR firm that specializes in athletes and his three nieces joined the family business after finishing their education.
In this title, Annabelle is paired with former pro-football player Brandon Vaughn. Vaughn was a former client of Yank's until his money-grubbing ex-wife chose a different PR firm for Vaughn while he was recovering from surgery and loopy on meds.
Vaughn comes crawling back to Hot Zone (and Yank) with his tail between his legs needing their services. See, he's trying to build a lodge in his hometown. He wants to build a resort for the wealthy and he wants to use the profits to fund his real dream--a camp for kids with learning disabilities. The problem is that someone doesn't want Vaughn to succeed.
Lovesick Annabelle is the victim of some not-so-subtle matchmaking from her family and reluctantly takes the assignment to work with Vaughn. Hilarity and romance ensues . And, at the end of the story, everyone gets to live happily ever after.
I enjoyed this title. It was fairly well written and had just enough intrigue to get me through the graphic sex scenes. Now, I don't consider myself a prude, but I did find myself blushing a little when Phillips talked about various characters and their sexual activities.
Overall, though, it was a fun and fluffy read.
Coming up this week...
This week you can look forward to:
A post about Tori Amos' new disc American Doll posse
A post about our new Tivo
and whatever else strikes my fancy.
TTFN, y'all
A post about Tori Amos' new disc American Doll posse
A post about our new Tivo
and whatever else strikes my fancy.
TTFN, y'all
Why Mrs. Dude was painfully wrong about Arctic Monkeys
I have trouble liking critics darlings sometimes. When the Arctic Monkeys disc "Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not" came out, I didn't like it very much. I liked the single "I bet you look good on the dance floor," sure, but I didn't dig the album very much. I felt like the energy didn't hold up over the duration of the album and I got bored fairly quickly. So, I wrote off Arctic Monkeys as just another critics darling.
When "Favourite Worst Nightmare" came out, The Dude bought it. It made it's way onto Black Frances and, eventually, I found myself face-to-face with this disc.
About two tracks in, I knew I was in trouble.
See, this album was everything I didn't think the previous one was. The lyrics were fantastic and the music was the right mix of rock and pop. I wasn't the least bit bored with it, and found that the end came way too quickly. What I loved most about this disc was that they were able to keep up the energy over 12 songs. Sometimes, pop-punky bands have a problem keeping that energy going and one or two tracks end up being throw-away tracks. Not on this disc.
So, I must say that I was wrong about Arctic Monkeys.
When "Favourite Worst Nightmare" came out, The Dude bought it. It made it's way onto Black Frances and, eventually, I found myself face-to-face with this disc.
About two tracks in, I knew I was in trouble.
See, this album was everything I didn't think the previous one was. The lyrics were fantastic and the music was the right mix of rock and pop. I wasn't the least bit bored with it, and found that the end came way too quickly. What I loved most about this disc was that they were able to keep up the energy over 12 songs. Sometimes, pop-punky bands have a problem keeping that energy going and one or two tracks end up being throw-away tracks. Not on this disc.
So, I must say that I was wrong about Arctic Monkeys.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Things I've been excited about lately
1.) Romance novels with a sense of humor
I can't help it. Despite my English major sensibilities, I prefer chick lit to literary fiction. And, I refuse to make a value judgment about what I'm reading. So many people are down on chick lit. The librarian in me says that we should all read what makes us happy.
I read Faking it by Jennifer Cruisie. It was fun and funny. Not too terribly realistic, but so what?
Now I'm reading Hot stuff by Carly Phillips. I think the author goes out of her way to write "sexy" which, honestly, bugs me a little. But, I still think it'll be fun.
2.)Reality television
I haven't watched the Top Design finale yet, but I couldn't stop myself from looking to see who won.
I picked up the second season of Work Out and I'm going to watch this season's Real World/Road Rules challenge. Also, MTV has been showing reruns of Beauty and the Geek. Not this season, but one of the earlier seasons. And, Flavor of Love Charm School starts soon as does a new season of Celebrity Fit Club.
No wonder The Dude wants to get a second DVR...
I know full well that reality tv isn't realistic at all. But, since all of the scripted shows I like get cancelled, I decided to accept reality television as the wave of the future. And, nothing is funnier than reality television's worst moments.
3.) 30 seconds to Mars
I didn't want to like them. I thought that Jared Leto's emo stylings were a lot over-the-top. But I kept hearing "The Kill" on the radio and I could never get it out of my head. So, I listened to the clips on iTunes and bought the album.
I dig it. A lot.
It's got more depth than I originally gave the band credit for. But they balance that depth with a sense of humor.
Sooo....what are you digging right now?
I can't help it. Despite my English major sensibilities, I prefer chick lit to literary fiction. And, I refuse to make a value judgment about what I'm reading. So many people are down on chick lit. The librarian in me says that we should all read what makes us happy.
I read Faking it by Jennifer Cruisie. It was fun and funny. Not too terribly realistic, but so what?
Now I'm reading Hot stuff by Carly Phillips. I think the author goes out of her way to write "sexy" which, honestly, bugs me a little. But, I still think it'll be fun.
2.)Reality television
I haven't watched the Top Design finale yet, but I couldn't stop myself from looking to see who won.
I picked up the second season of Work Out and I'm going to watch this season's Real World/Road Rules challenge. Also, MTV has been showing reruns of Beauty and the Geek. Not this season, but one of the earlier seasons. And, Flavor of Love Charm School starts soon as does a new season of Celebrity Fit Club.
No wonder The Dude wants to get a second DVR...
I know full well that reality tv isn't realistic at all. But, since all of the scripted shows I like get cancelled, I decided to accept reality television as the wave of the future. And, nothing is funnier than reality television's worst moments.
3.) 30 seconds to Mars
I didn't want to like them. I thought that Jared Leto's emo stylings were a lot over-the-top. But I kept hearing "The Kill" on the radio and I could never get it out of my head. So, I listened to the clips on iTunes and bought the album.
I dig it. A lot.
It's got more depth than I originally gave the band credit for. But they balance that depth with a sense of humor.
Sooo....what are you digging right now?
Monday, April 2, 2007
A beautiful lie by 30 second to mars
Dear Jared Leto,
When I was in high school and you were Jordan Catalano, I had the biggest crush on you. Okay, not on you exactly. I wanted a boyfriend just like Jordan. In retrospect this seems really dumb. While Jordan was a bad boy with a heart of gold buried somewhere deep down, he wasn't exactly good for Angela. And, in the end, I married a man more like Brian than like Jordan.
Anyway, when I heard you'd started a band, I didn't really pay too much attention to it. I knew you could sing--I'd heard it on My So-Called Life. But could you really front a band? And, if you could, would it be any good?
I didn't think about again until the single "The Kill" became big on the radio. I couldn't get it out of my head. It's dark and catchy at the same time. It's musical complexity is outshone only by it's angst. That, Mr. Leto, takes talent.
I ended up picking up a copy of the disc that the aforementioned single is from and was pleasantly surprised to realize that it doesn't suck. Although it's heavy and atmospheric, I don't get bored by the end of the album. This is quite the accomplishment because, though I enjoy bands like yours, I often grow tired of them.
Well done, Mr. Leto. Well done.
And, if it matters, I still have a crush on Jordan.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Dude
When I was in high school and you were Jordan Catalano, I had the biggest crush on you. Okay, not on you exactly. I wanted a boyfriend just like Jordan. In retrospect this seems really dumb. While Jordan was a bad boy with a heart of gold buried somewhere deep down, he wasn't exactly good for Angela. And, in the end, I married a man more like Brian than like Jordan.
Anyway, when I heard you'd started a band, I didn't really pay too much attention to it. I knew you could sing--I'd heard it on My So-Called Life. But could you really front a band? And, if you could, would it be any good?
I didn't think about again until the single "The Kill" became big on the radio. I couldn't get it out of my head. It's dark and catchy at the same time. It's musical complexity is outshone only by it's angst. That, Mr. Leto, takes talent.
I ended up picking up a copy of the disc that the aforementioned single is from and was pleasantly surprised to realize that it doesn't suck. Although it's heavy and atmospheric, I don't get bored by the end of the album. This is quite the accomplishment because, though I enjoy bands like yours, I often grow tired of them.
Well done, Mr. Leto. Well done.
And, if it matters, I still have a crush on Jordan.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Dude
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