Happy New Year!

Times Square, New Years Eve 1942

Top Five in Movies: 2010

Five Surprisingly Awesome Movies of the Year

The Other Guys: Though his track record has been pretty awful (Land of the Lost) Will Ferrell returns to top form in a performance that’s reminiscent of his characters on SNL, while Mark Wahlberg show his ability to do comedy.

Restrepo: Could have turned out to be a snooze about the sacrifice of war, but Sebastian Junger uses a compelling narrative to propel the movie foreward as he follows a company of soldiers during their tour in Afghanistan.

The Town: Ben Affleck did a wonderful job directing “Gone Baby Gone,” but he really proves himself with his second film.

Winter’s Bone: A critical darling at Sundance, I was skeptical of this film but Jennifer Lawrence’s raw performance was worth the trip to the theater.

Social Network: The idea of a whole movie about Facebook is laughable, but Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay about the struggle between the company’s founders was flawless.  Plus, Andrew Garfield.  Sigh.

Five Movies That Were Just as Amazing as Expected

The King’s Speech: I love Britain.  I love period pieces.  I loved Tom Hooper’s “John Adams." Not surprised I loved this movie.

Toy Story 3: Pixar is amazing.  I’ve enjoyed every movie they’ve released.  Let’s not forget this animated film made grown men across the US cry.

Inception: BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHM!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: I’m in my mid-twenties, and Harry Potter is still one of my favorite books.

True Grit: While I didn’t expect this to be a typical Coen Brothers film with quirky characters, I was pleasantly surprised with how beautiful the movie looked.  I also really enjoyed the simple plot.  It was very refreshing.

Five Most Disappointing Movies of the Year

Alice in Wonderland:  I really hate the use of CGI, but I didn’t expect this movie to be so boring.  Not to mention the ending was just odd.

Sex and the City 2: This was not nearly to par with the first film or the original show.  The script meandered, and the plot had turns that made little sense.

Valentine’s Day: Though I didn’t expect this to be cinematic gold, I had hoped it would be like “Love Actually” since the format of the two movies is similar.  It was just AWFUL.

Black Swan: All the critics love this movie.  I thought the imagery would be more impressive than it was.  I thought the advertised “psychological thrill” would be less comical.

Dinner for Schmucks: I like Steve Carrell, and I love Paul Rudd.  This was just BAD.

Top Five in Movies: 2011

Five Movies I Must See ASAP

Exit through the Gift Shop: Upon the recommendation of LRL.

Another Year: It’s gotten great reviews, and I didn’t mind the director’s previous film “Happy-Go-Lucky.”  It shows a year in the life of a happily married middle-aged couple, and the less well-adjusted people who gather around them.

Rabbit Hole: Nicole Kidman has been getting a lot of praise for her performance in the film, which was adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning play.

Animal Kingdom: A film about the Melbourne underworld, and an armed robber in hiding, on the run from a gang of renegade detectives who want him dead.  Jackie Weaver is getting rave reviews for her supporting role as the overbearing grandmother. 

The Way Back: About the escape of a small group of multi-national prisoners from a Siberian gulag in 1940 and their epic journey over thousands of miles across five hostile countries.

Five Movies to look forward to in 2011

Jane Eyre: I love Jane Austen, but I think Charlotte Bronte’s work is underrated.

Sucker Punch: Directed by Zach Snyder, who also did “Sin City” and “300”.  Fun to watch.

Hangover Part 2: I adore Zach Galifianakis.  Plus there hasn’t been a summer comedy as good as the first “Hangover”.

Tree of Life: The preview looks pretty amazing, plus it’s being released in early summer so I’ll be starved for a movie that’s not absolute garbage.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2: IT’S THE LAST HARRY POTTER MOVIE!

Top Five in Television

Five Shows that Made TV Worth Watching

Mad Men: Do I really need to go into how great “Mad Men” is?  The death of Mrs. Blankenship and the episode titled “The Suitcase” were my favorites.

The Walking Dead: AMC is the new HBO, investing and developing slow-to-boil dramas.  The six-episode first season wasn’t enough. 

Community: How did I only discover this show halfway through season two?  It’s by far one of the best comedies on television.

Lost:  Almost every question was answered.  So sad to see you go.

Sons of Anarchy: I was quick to judge this show, but Kurt Sutter’s writing in the final episode of Season 3 was phenomenal.

Five TV Shows to look forward to in 2011

Game of Thrones: I’m a major nerd.  I really loved the LOTR trilogy, and this promises to be of that same vein. 

The Walking Dead: Didn’t think it was possible to make a Zombie drama. I’m very much looking forward to the show’s sophomore season.

Big Love: Final season of “Big Love”.  I’m very curious to see what direction the family will go after last season’s finale.  I hope all the wives leave Bill.  

Oprah: It’s Oprah’s last season.  You can’t tell me you’re not curious to see what her final few shows will be like, especially after this year’s double Favorite Things episode.

Breaking Bad: Season 4 should have premiered earlier in 2011 than it’s scheduled to.  Unfortunately Bryan Cranston won’t be eligible for an Emmy this coming year, which should pave the way for Jon Hamm to get his due recognition.

Un croissant, s'il vous plait

In preparation for my trip to London and Paris I have decided only to eat foods traditionally prepared in Britain and France.  Can I tell you how lovely it is to have a freshly baked chocolate croissant before work in the morning?  Williams-Sonoma sells boxes of 15 handmade French style chocolate croissants for $39.99, and it only takes fifteen minutes in the oven to make them.  It sure beats buttered toast.

Sigh.

Nightmare at 20,000 feet

Now that the holidays are winding down, the airports won’t be crowded again until the summer travel season begins around Memorial Day.  Perhaps in the meantime, it might be useful for travelers to work on five general rules of air travel etiquette.

1.)    Please avoid wearing attire that is generally only acceptable in private spaces.   Although it may tempting to throw on something comfortable, like a velour tracksuit in the winter or a skimpy tank top in the summer, please know in doing so you look like Britney Spears on a bad day.  Save those ill-fitting clothes for your doublewide, because the other passengers on your flight don’t care to see your stretch marks, your undergarments, or lack thereof.

2.)    Please be aware of luggage size and placement.  These are economic hard times, and not everyone can afford the exorbitant baggage fees that some airlines are charging.  This does not give you license to call your two enormous bags “carry-ons,” and proceed to fill the entire overhead bin intended to provide storage space for the belongings of six passengers.  If you are stingy, please note: Southwest Airlines allows passengers to check two bags free of charge, so no excuses.  For those who have checked bags, it may be true that you are the absolute center of the universe, but as a courtesy to other travelers please refrain from forming a wall of baggage at the luggage carousel.  It makes it difficult for other passengers to retrieve their belongings.  Especially when we all know you won’t lift a finger to assist us as our bag moves just out of reach.

3.)    Please attempt to contain or eliminate offensive odors.  Everyone has their guilty pleasure foods.  No one will begrudge someone bringing a cheeseburger and fries on board for the 5-hour flight.  However, not all airline passengers enjoy the tuna melt with limburger cheese, and onions that you purchased from the shoddy sandwich cart in the corner of the terminal.  Not all airline passengers enjoy when you are unable to finish that sandwich and make a serious judgment call to save the remains for later.  Also, please refrain from farting in the face of passengers seated on the aisle as you attempt to grapple your excessively large carry on from the overhead bin.  We know that the jet engines are loud, but they do not mask your foul stench.  P.S. Wear deodorant. 

4.)    Please be cognizant of other passengers’ personal space.  Traveling can be a stressful experience, but that does not mean we are all given a pass to be rude and pushy.  When coming down the jet way to board the plane, please be aware that standing a mere 4 inches behind the person in front of you will not speed up the boarding process.  It just makes your bad breath more obvious.  If you have carry-on luggage with you, but you must place your belongings in an overhead bin that is not above your seat, this does not give you license to barrel through the aisle to gain access to your bag once the flight has landed.  Please refrain from elbowing other passengers, especially the elderly.

5.)    Please limit noise levels, especially if traveling with children.  You are the most important person in the world but the people around you may prefer to sleep or listen to music, than listen to your life story.  I know.  It’s hard to believe.  Also, traveling with children can be a challenge.  No one denies that, or faults the parents if their baby starts crying.  What is inexcusable is that you allow your eight or nine year old to repeatedly lower, then slam the tray table into the back of the seat in front of them, or play their handheld video game with the volume as loud as possible.  Every other passenger on the flight was probably already aware that you’re an inconsiderate, self-centered asshole because you’ve ignored the four prior rules of air travel etiquette, there’s no need to advertise that you’re also a crappy parent.  

UPDATED: I still hate you MTV

How I feel about getting pregnant. Inappropriate?

Tonight MTV aired a spin-off special of the “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom” series, addressing the issue of abortion.  Markai Durham was featured on the previous season of “16 and Pregnant” after having a child with her boyfriend of one month.  Before her season wrapped Durham discovered she was pregnant for a second time.  “No Easy Decision” followed Durham through the decision process, the procedure, and featured a candid discussion afterwards.

Airing a special about the issue of abortion is an interesting decision on MTV’s part.  Tackling such a controversial issue clearly meant sacrificing a half hour of commercial sponsors.  However, it allowed the channel to educate young women about the third and less publicized option when confronted with an unplanned pregnancy.

While the majority of MTV’s programming is deplorable, i.e. “My Super Sweet Sixteen,” the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy released a report that cites "16 and Pregnant," indicating that 82 percent of the teens who watch it say the show helps them better understand the challenges of teen pregnancy and parenthood – and why they should avoid it.  I guess that makes up for the show "Parental Control."

UPDATE: And then they go and do something like this.  Amber Portwood from "16 and Pregnant" and "Teen Mom," the one whose daughter was taken away by child services... yea, she makes $260,000 a year. 

Battle at Kruger

I know this is from 2007, but my sister told me about this video earlier this month, and only recently did I watch it. 

364 days until Christmas

Merry Christmas!

"It's a Wonderful Life" is one of my all-time favorite movies.  I watch it at least 5-10 times around Christmas.  In the video above New York Times film critic A.O. Scott talks about the dark undertones of the movie and why it makes the film so beloved around the holidays.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It's Christmas Eve

You can act like a man

Psychology Today published a book review of “The Nine Rooms” this morning.  Stephen Snyder, the author of the article, agrees with the book’s main premise, that women want everything, and that thinking about everything is the root of their unhappiness.

Snyder states, “The woman’s mind is integrative, comprehensive.  She thinks of the big picture - of how everything is balanced and fits together - or not.  This method of thinking is somewhat foreign to the average man.  He's more selective about what he thinks about.”

“The Nine Rooms” argues that compartmentalizing unwanted thoughts, the way most men do, can help alleviate unhappiness generated from integrative, comprehensive thinking.  The book explains how women can think of their lives as a house of many rooms—love and sex (the bedroom), health and appearance (the bathroom), organization and power (the kitchen).  The authors advise women to try working on only one room at a time, and to be cognizant of when “you’re in the wrong room.”  For example, worry about your weight in the bathroom, not in the bedroom.

I love my job.

Global warming is not real

(via Gawker.com)

A study conducted by WorldPublicOpinion.org was released last week and revealed interesting findings about the level of misinformation among news watchers. 

In most cases increased exposure to news sources decreased misinformation, but in some cases certain news sources on some issues, higher levels of exposure increased misinformation.  The survey respondents were asked twelve political questions.  The news sources included news publications, network TV news broadcasts, public broadcasting (NPR or PBS), Fox News, MSNBC and CNN.  The daily viewing habits of the respondents for each source varied from never watch, rarely watch, watch once a week, watch two to three times a week, and watch daily.

Most striking of the results was that daily viewers of Fox News were significantly more likely to believe the following:

• most economists estimate the stimulus caused job losses
• most economists have estimated the health care law will worsen the deficit
• the economy is getting worse
• most scientists do not agree that climate change is occurring
• the stimulus legislation did not include any tax cuts
• their own income taxes have gone up
• the auto bailout only occurred under Obama
• when TARP came up for a vote most Republicans opposed it
• it is not clear that Obama was born in the United States

According to the study the effects increased incrementally with increasing levels of exposure and were not simply a function of partisan bias, as people who voted Democratic and watched Fox News were also more likely to have such misinformation than those who did not watch it.

J’Adore: The Travel Edition

Christmas is next Saturday, and though the holiday is not about getting material things, it’s hard to resist choosing a few items to lust after.  There are a lot of people I know who have MAJOR travel plans brewing for 2011 (studying abroad, honeymoon, etc.) so I found a couple of things that any jetsetter would be happy to find under the tree.  Some are meant to make the flight less daunting, while others transform being a tourist from cheesy to chic.

It’s impossible to remember every single type of charger for every type of electronic needed on a trip.  And when traveling abroad, it’s a hassle to make sure to bring various types of adapters needed for the electrical outlets.  JuiceBar has created a multi-device solar charger that uses clean energy to fuel cell phones and iPods.  On a full charge it gives iPods up to fifteen hours of music listening, and can fully charge phones twice over.  It’s a great buy for under $50.

When I travel, I always have a checked bag because of the new carry-on rules.  I can’t travel without my specific shampoo and conditioner.  I’d be a mess.  For a long transatlantic trip, it might be useful to have a bag that’s larger than a conventional purse to store gadgets, books, magazines and a potential change of clothes.  Nancy Gonzalez has released her new travel collection, and though the crocodile teal rolling carry-on is astronomically expensive, just imagine how wonderful it would look to roll that through the airport.  For a more economical option, that is a large enough to fit a 14” Macbook, Mulberry’s Oak brown Bayswater bag can double as a purse.  It’s very similar to the Hermes Birkin, but a fraction of the coast.

I’m not huge on Apple products, but I did ask Santa for an iPad this Christmas.  There are rumors that the iPad 2 will come out this spring, possibly with a camera.  So if your loved one has patience to wait that long, I’d say hold off until spring.  If on the other hand they’re taking a trip before May, the iPad is a great substitute to lugging an entire computer around the world.  Not to mention the picture quality is extremely high, so watching movies on the iPad is preferable to the tiny screens on the back of airline seats.

The pale color of my skin should indicate that I avoid the sun and tropical places at all costs when I travel.  That doesn’t stop me from admiring the resort wear out for spring/summer 2011.  I just love Mara Hoffman’s selection of bathing suits and cover-ups.  The bathing suits are very Jonathan Saunders/Matthew Williamson, with the bright colors and geometric/psychedelic prints.  My favorite piece is the hot pink embroidered silk-chiffon kaftan.  It’s perfect for lounging by the pool, or trying to shade pasty skin from getting burned on the beach.

The Lomography Spinner 360° is a camera that takes pictures of an entire landscape.  The photographer pulls the cord attacked to the camera and releases it.  Upon doing so the camera spins in a full circle recording everything in sight.  It produces a collection of photos that are 4 times larger than a conventional landscape picture.  The Lomography website explains how to get the pictures developed and scanned to create a really unique image.  The camera costs around $150.

There's good news, and there's bad news.

CBS vs. AMC

Let’s start with the bad news first.  CBS which does its part to ruin television, is developing its FOURTH comedy series based on a Twitter feed.  The first of golden bunch was $#*! My Dad Says, starring William Shatner, which premiered this Fall.  Next season CBS will unleash the other three on the masses.   Dear Girls Above Me and Shh…Don’t Tell Steve, have been in the works for a while, and now Mother of All Something is being added to the bunch.  Don’t worry though, entertainment genius Jessica Alba is attached to executive produce, so it’s sure to be gold.  I don’t doubt that these Twitter feeds are amusing, but is it necessary to base an entire 30-minute sitcom on them?  I do not understand how The Big Bang Theory or Two and a Half Men are so successful, but at least they weren’t based off of the 140-character musings of a Canadian stay-at-home mother of three.

Now that that’s out of the way, here’s the good news.  AMC has ordered 10 episodes from the recently screened pilot, Hell on Wheels.  The series is set in post-Civil War America, and centers on a former confederate soldier Cullen Bohannan.  Bohannan is led westward to work on construction of the first Transcontinental Railroad during his quest for vengeance.  AMC’s track record has been pretty good thus far, with the critical success of Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead.  While some may be skeptical of how a Western will play with audiences, it’s nice to see that AMC is taking a risk the same way they did with The Walking Dead.  I have hopes that this show will be on par with HBO’s Deadwood, which I miss so dearly.

UPDATED: Golden Globe Noms

Updated with comments.

MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
"Black Swan"
"The Fighter"
"Inception"
"The King's Speech"
"The Social Network"

MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
"Alice In Wonderland"
"Burlesque"
"The Kids Are All Right"
"Red"
"The Tourist"

(Are these nominations real?)

ACTRESS , DRAMA
Halle Berry - "Frankie And Alice"
Nicole Kidman - "Rabbit Hole"

Jennifer Lawrence - "Winter's Bone"
Natalie Portman - "Black Swan"
Michelle Williams - "Blue Valentine"

ACTOR , DRAMA
Jesse Eisenberg - "The Social Network"
Colin Firth - "The King's Speech"
James Franco - "127 Hours"
Ryan Gosling - "Blue Valentine"
Mark Wahlberg - "The Fighter" (Naht you.)

ACTRESS , COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Annette Bening - "The Kids Are All Right"
Anne Hathaway - "Love And Other Drugs"
Angelina Jolie - "The Tourist"
Julianne Moore - "The Kids Are All Right"
Emma Stone - "Easy A"

ACTOR , COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Johnny Depp - "Alice In Wonderland" (He's not that good.)
Johnny Depp - "The Tourist" (Really.)
Paul Giamatti - "Barney's Version"
Jake Gyllenhaal - "Love And Other Drugs"
Kevin Spacey - "Casino Jack"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, MOTION PICTURE
Amy Adams - "The Fighter"
Helena Bonham Carter - "The King's Speech"
Mila Kunis- "Black Swan"
Melissa Leo - "The Fighter"
Jacki Weaver - "Animal Kingdom"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, MOTION PICTURE
Christian Bale - "The Fighter"
Michael Douglas - "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps"
Andrew Garfield - "The Social Network" (Dreamy sigh.)
Jeremy Renner - "The Town"
Geoffrey Rush - "The King's Speech"

BEST DIRECTOR, MOTION PICTURE
Darren Aronofsky - "Black Swan"
David Fincher - "The Social Network"
Tom Hooper - "The King's Speech"
Christopher Nolan - "Inception"
David O. Russell - "The Fighter"

BEST SCREENPLAY, MOTION PICTURE
Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy - "127 Hours"
Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg - "The Kids Are All Right"
Christopher Nolan - "Inception"
David Seidler - "The King's Speech"
Aaron Sorkin - "The Social Network"

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
"Despicable Me"
"How To Train Your Dragon"
"The Illusionist"
"Tangled"
"Toy Story 3" (Burlesque is nominated as a legitimate piece of cinema, and this isn't?)

TV noms after the jump...

Smarter than the average bear.

The new Yogi Bear movie coming out in a couple of weeks looks nothing short of awful.  This morning 25-year-old RISD graduate Edmund Earle, posted his alternate ending online.  His video has been three months in the making and has already gone viral.  Those who are equally appalled as I am about how terrible Yogi Bear looks will probably find Earle's Assassination of Jesse James-inspired video to be quite humorous.

The Black List

Each year the top film executives choose their favorite unproduced scripts of the year, which are then compiled into Hollywood’s Black List.  Though not every one of these scripts will get made, this year’s Oscar frontrunners were featured on the 2009 list, so it’s interesting to keep an eye on the list in the year ahead.  Below are some of the picks that I thought sounded the most interesting. 

COLLEGE REPUBLICANS by Wes Jones
“Based on true events, aspiring politician Karl Rove runs a dirty campaign for the National College Republican Chairman under the guidance of Lee Atwater, his campaign manager.”

JACKIE by Noah Oppenheim
“Jackie Kennedy fights to define her husband’s legacy in the seven days immediately following his assassination.”

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN by Evan Daugherty
“A re-imagining of the story of Snow White in which the huntsman sent to kill her becomes her mentor.”

ARE WE OFFICIALLY DATING? By Tom Gormican
“A dating movie told from the male perspective about the lengths men will go through to avoid being officially in a relationship.”

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER by Seth Grahame-Smith
“When the mother of future United States President Abraham Lincoln is murdered by a vampire, he begins a lifelong vendetta to rid the world of the heinous creatures.”

HUNGER GAMES by Billy Ray
“Based on the book by Suzanne Collins. In an America of the future, young boys and girls are forced to participate in a televised battle to the death.”

WHAT HAPPENED TO MONDAY? by Max Botkin
“In a world where families are allowed only one child due to overpopulation, a resourceful set of identical septuplets must avoid governmental execution and dangerous infighting while investigating the disappearance of one of their own.”

THE BUTLER by Danny Strong

“The story of African-American White House butler Eugene Allen, who served eight United States presidents from 1952 to 1986.”

THE GIRL WITH SOMETHING EXTRA by Terrence Michael
“A young man who has been raised his entire life to believe that he is a girl comes of age as he enters high school and learns his true gender.”

HYDE by Cole Haddon
“An allegedly rehabilitated Dr. Jekyll is pulled out of prison to help hunt a new monster who seems to be using an improved version of the Hyde serum.”

Farewell quality TV, see you in January.

Tonight is the season finale of Dexter, and once it ends there isn’t much to watch on Sundays until Big Love returns in January for its final season on HBO.  Nevertheless, this season of Dexter was a bit slow compared to Season four, which feature John Lithgow as the Trinity Killer. 

Season five was less about Dexter struggling to hide who he is, and more about him seeking atonement.  Still reeling from Rita’s murder, Dexter finds Lumen (Julia Stiles) locked up in one of his target’s homes after she witnesses him committing murder.  Dexter chooses to take her on as an apprentice and teaches her his code, as Lumen searches for vengeance against those who tortured her.  Somewhere along the way Dexter and Lumen develop a unique relationship, but as he helps her hunt down her tormentors, the walls begin to close in around them.

I really enjoyed this season of Dexter, and watching the writers explore a more human, less pained side to his character.  After experiencing heartbreak over the loss of Rita, this season Dexter was given his soul mate, someone that he can be completely himself with.  After last season’s finale shocker I’m a bit nervous about what will happen to Lumen’s character, but I have a feeling that Quinn will find a way redeem himself for being the thorn in Dexter’s side.

After the jump, scene from last week's Dexter, which was one of the best moments on television this year.

True Grit

Though I haven’t seen the 1969 original, I really enjoyed Joel and Ethan Coen’s version of True Grit.  I believe it could be a potential Best Picture spoiler at the Oscars. 

True Grit is a story about a 14-year old Mattie Ross searching for justice after her father is gunned down in Arkansas sometime in the late 1870's.  She enlists the help of a grizzly old marshal, Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to find the murderer.  Accompanying them in the hunt is a Texas Ranger (Matt Damon) already searching for the fugitive, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) who is responsible for a slew of previous crimes.

The 1969 version of the film won John Wayne his only Oscar.  While Jeff Bridges version of Rooster Cogburn is laudable, the star of this film is the young actress who plays the tenacious Mattie Ross.  Hailee Steinfeld hasn’t appeared in any other major movies, but outshines both Bridges and Damon.  The early scenes of her trading with an Arkansas shopkeeper are some of the best, and most humorous, in the film.  Though he only had a cameo, Barry Pepper as “Lucky” Ned Pepper was a dead ringer for Robert Duvall, who originated the role in 1969, however Pepper’s take is far more menacing.

The classic Western format is a departure from the Coen Brother’s signature quirky style.  The film is beautifully done, with classic American Western landscapes as a backdrop. The simple good guy-bad guy drama is refreshing amongst a sea of films attempting to surprise audiences with film ending twists, or CGI manufactored action sequences.

Double Dream Hands

Special thanks to Kenny Appe for pointing this out to me.

The Fightah

The Fighter hit theaters yesterday, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised.  The film centers on Mickey Ward, a boxer from Massachusetts in the twilight of his career, and his dysfunctional family’s affect on his performance.  With an overbearing mother as his manager, and an older brother who was once a boxing star but now a crack addict, Mickey struggles to make decisions that leave his family behind as he advances his career.  

The most recent boxing movies that come to mind are Million Dollar Baby and Cinderella Man.  Both were the quintessential sports movies, which relied heavily on the boxing matches to entertain the audience and get the adrenaline pumping.  The Fighter however paid closer attention to drama surrounding the characters, than on the actual fight sequences.

Mark Wahlberg played Mark Wahlberg, but it’s admirable how much he committed to make the physical transformation needed to portray a boxer.  As good as he was, Wahlberg was overshadowed by Christian Bale.  As Bale did for The Machinist and the Batman movies, he pulled out all the stops to become Mickey’s aging crack addict brother, Dickey.  The thinning of the hair and the gaunt appearance, paired with the manic behavior, at first Bale’s acting seemed a bit over the top. However, there’s a brief interview with the real life Mickey and Dickey at the end of the film and it showed just how spot on Bale's performance was.  He’s sure to be a contender for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Swingin' Sixties

After the wild success of AMC’s Mad Men, two networks and one cable channel all have shows in development that are set in the 1960’s.  I’m a bit surprised it took the network executives four whole seasons of Mad Men to capitalize on an idea that’s been so popular with viewers and critics.

The first of the three new shows comes from ABC and centers on the pilots and flight attendants of the once famous Pan Am airline.  The show is cleverly titled Pan Am.  The idea came from producer Nancy Ganis, who was a stewardess for the airline thirty years ago.  Ganis pitched the show to execs as one filled with intrigue and sex, where the women exported American culture to the world, and brought the world home with them.  While the show sounds interesting, ABC is a family friendly network.  I find it hard imagining the network replicating some of the risqué issues that Mad Men is able to explore on a cable channel.

The next show Playboy is being developed for NBC, and it will focus on a group of women working at the Playboy club in New York.  According to Variety, the setting will serve as a lens for the “changing mores” of the time.  An uncreative name, attractive women navigating a misogynistic culture, and a tame network tackling racy subject matter, sound familiar?  NBC is best known for its comedy shows, not its dramas. 

Finally, there’s Magic City which is being developed for Starz.  The ten-episode season will explore Miami as the strength of the mob in that area grows, the drug trade begins to blossom, dramatic changes take place in communist Cuba, and racial tensions stir beneath the surface.  I think of the three shows, this one has the potential to be the best.  Starz doesn’t have the history HBO or Showtime does for creating noteworthy serial dramas, but with 2010’s Spartacus, and Pillars of the Earth, it certainly appears as if they’re in a building stage.

Community = amazing!

Most of my favorite TV shows are serial drams, but I have to say I’m absolutely in love with NBC’s Community.  Though I had to watch season one on DVD, I’m utterly devoted to this show.  I think it’s smart, creative and comical in a way that The Office and 30 Rock used to be.

For those who are unfamiliar with the show, it centers on Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) a disbarred attorney who must return to school when his education is deemed void.  Jeff enrolls at a community college and enlists in a study group for his Spanish.  It sounds like it could be dull, but the ensemble cast works so well together.  The writing is flawless, and they don’t use the same, tired recycled jokes every episode.

Every character/actor is hilarious and able to hold their own.  I’ve been especially impressed by Allison Brie, who plays high-strung, former pill addict Annie.  After seeing her as Trudy Campbell in Mad Men, I would never have expected her to be as funny as she is. 

My favorite character is Abed.  Though Abed’s a bit different, he relates nearly every situation to television or movies.  The show is filled with subtle pop culture references. 

This week’s episode, “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas,” was done completely in stop-motion animation.  What undoubtedly took months to create, it was a clever homage to Christmas classics like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and The Year without Santa Claus.

Below is my favorite episode, “Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design.”  Give it a try!

Black Swan

I had such high hopes for Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, but alas I was sorely disappointed.  In the film, Nina, a focused ballet dancer, begins to unravel after she is given the role as a principle in the ballet Swan Lake.  Pressured by her mother, the head of the company, and a rival dancer, the line between reality and psychosis begins to blur.

Black Swan wasn’t exactly terrible, and I’d watch it over Paul Blart: Mall Cop any day.  It just wasn’t GREAT compared to movies like The Social Network, or The King’s Speech.  I had hoped it would be a visually stunning film, but the dancing sequences were minimal, while the creepy self-mutilation scenes were copious.  Those who liked Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream might enjoy this movie.  It was much more reminiscent of his style in that film, than in The Wrestler.

I kept an open mind about the movie, until the scene where Nina practices one of the dances in her bedroom.  She’s wearing Pointe shoes, doing spins in front of a mirror.  On a wooden floor.  In an apartment.  At night.  Inconsiderate, right?  In an apartment building, wouldn’t the adjacent neighbors be irritated by the incessant pounding from Nina’s ballet shoes?  After that, I just couldn’t get back into the movie.

Though there’s been quite a bit of buzz surrounding Natalie Portman’s performance, I found it to be underwhelming.  She’s teary-eyed and whining for one-hundred out of one-hundred and ten minutes of the film.  It’s a ballet dancing version of her performance in Brothers, The Other Boleyn Girl, V for Vendetta, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, and Closer.

I miss Disney World.



J'adore: Part Deux

Christmas is less than twenty days away, which means I have It’s a Wonderful Life and March of the Wooden Soldiers playing on a continuous loop.  The weather is getting colder and Santa’s on his way.  If you haven’t finalized your Christmas list, here are some fun stocking stuffer ideas:

Cire Trudon was founded in 1643 in Paris, and has made candles for royalty, world leaders, and the greatest fashion houses.  They have a vast selection of candles, including tapered candles of every color in the rainbow, and scented candles.  The most interesting are the busts of famous French figures.  My favorite is the Napoleon, which is available in a natural color, white or black wax.  There's also a tres chic Marie Antoinette bust available.

There was a time when going to the airport and flying to far off places was glamorous.  Now the TSA rifles through luggage and a woman’s unmentionables to make sure the skies are secure.  Most humiliating of all is enduring a body scan and/or a pat down in the security lines in front of strangers, all the while contracting some foot fungus from walking through the airport with bare feet.  Tory Burch must have shared these sentiments because she created a lovely pair of socks, with a travel case for fashion forward, health conscious jetsetters.

Jonathan Adler designs home accessories that can best be characterized as happy and loud.  It’s hard to choose one item from his collection that would make a great, but useful gift.  The first few items that caught my eye were his food jars.  The three jars are labeled, and filled accordingly with Carbs, Calories and Candy. 

 

Two other items that stood out were the Blackberry and iPod cases, which feature needlepoint of an antique phone and a phonograph on the front.

This holiday season's hottest nail colors are various metallics, and as always Chanel is the trendsetting, go to polish.  Their most popular shades this winter are Steel and Gold Lame, both limited editions.  Steel and Gold Lame can be found on the Chanel website.

Doesn’t every girl dream of meeting a handsome and rugged man, who’s a skilled outdoorsman that can fix any and all appliances in the house?  Portland General Store makes a great stocking stuffer for guy.  Their selection of men’s personal care products include scents called Tobacco, Wood, Whiskey and Professor.  Now, even guys who are afraid of spiders and mice can smell like they’ve just come from a bar fight or chopping down a tree.  

The last stocking stuffer idea is on the pricey side, but totally unique.  Any girl can go out and buy a David Yurman bracelet or a Tiffany necklace, but finding eye-catching jewelry with character is a challenge.  Gem Kingdom’s “Happy Baby” necklaces fit the bill.  Made in the Netherlands, the necklaces are sterling silver, with porcelain pendents.  Each Happy Baby is made differently, and can include mother of pearl or various gemstone charms.  My personal favorites are the Little Mozart and Little Viking.  The necklaces are available on Gem Kingdom's website, or on Fragments.