The Intermittent Review Post
Before anything, did I lend out my DVD of My Fair Lady to anyone in LJ land or Multiply land? Cause I can't find it, and for some reason I'm totally jonesing to see it. I get weird media jones these days. The other day it was for Beethoven's Ninth, the day before that it was for Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre, and during the storm I was listening to the entirety of Rigoletto. It's like I've been possessed by an 80-year-old.
Anyway, been watching stuff.
1. The Paul Newman film festival - TCM showed Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which was fun cause damn, Paul and Liz were so doggone pretty in that one. It's kind of an inert movie, though - you can actually see the seams from where the bowdlerlization raised its gnarly fist. Better by far was my own personal thon of The Verdict, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and the hilariously profane Slap Shot. The first three are iconic movies that, if you still haven't seen them, you should be ashamed of yourselves, so let's move on to Slap Shot. When a scene where Paul is skating around a hockey rink trying to bait a goalie by yelling "Your wife's a lesbian!" isn't even the funniest thing on the docket, you've got yourself a winner. I actually saw this first on cable, which isn't the optimal way to see this film, really.
2. Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger - Billed as "the biggest comedy tour ever," Chris Rock's newest HBO special cuts in between three different shows in three different cities in three different continents. None of which would matter if it wasn't funny, cause Amy don't watch standup for the spectacle. Thank goodness, Chris is back in top form. If I run through all the funny lines in this one - which, in my opinion, is his funniest standup special yet - I'll run out of space. So let's just concentrate on one. Chris is wondering why, after the American invasion of oil-rich Iraq, the price of gas still shot way up. "Let me tell you this: If I invaded KFC, chicken wings will be cheap at my house!"
3. Lost in Austen - In the surprisingly lovely and mature Lost in Austen, a girl named Amanda Price finds a door in her bathroom that leads to the world of her favorite book, Pride and Prejudice. Actually, what happens is that she finds Elizabeth Bennet in her bathroom. Surprised that (a) dude, Elizabeth Bennet is real? and (b) there's a door that leads to her world, which is also real?, Amanda decides to poke around the bizarro Austen universe just a little bit. She comes back only to find the door closed. And now she's stuck in Regency England armed only with a paperback of Pride and Prejudice and her wits.
Apart from Hugh Bonneville from Notting Hill, Gemma Arterton from St. Trinian's and the new Bond movie, and Doctor Who guest stars Alex Kingston (Dr. River Song. Spoiler!) and Florence Hoath (Are you my mommy?), it's a cast of people who are completely unknown to me, but everyone does incredibly well. I kinda sorta love this show. And I kinda sorta want a sequel where Wickham is stranded in our time. If for nothing else, Lost in Austen wins for its re-assessment of Wickham - because yeah, he is kind of a plot coupon, isn't he?
4. Pushing Daisies 201 - This isn't really a review, except to say "Thank goodness it's back although did this episode strike everyone as a bit rushed and a leetle too pleased with itself?" Also, for the US-based peoples, is The Thrifty Nickel an actual supermarket classified newsletter? Cause I heard it last night and I was all "Squee! Middleman shoutout!" and now I'm not all that sure. It was also nice to see Diana Scarwid again, although I wish she got some scenes with Lee Pace. I'm sure Bryan Fuller wouldn't be able to resist one Wonderfalls shoutout for the faithful. Which reminds me, I need to thon that show again.
5. Officially dropping Fringe, Heroes and Ugly Betty. And My Name is Earl is on its last legs. Librarianjessie, just keep me posted if something awesome happens in the Seth Green episodes of Heroes, cause I tried watching the last episode and fell asleep twice. Didn't even know I was sleepy until that show started.
Anyway, been watching stuff.
1. The Paul Newman film festival - TCM showed Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which was fun cause damn, Paul and Liz were so doggone pretty in that one. It's kind of an inert movie, though - you can actually see the seams from where the bowdlerlization raised its gnarly fist. Better by far was my own personal thon of The Verdict, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and the hilariously profane Slap Shot. The first three are iconic movies that, if you still haven't seen them, you should be ashamed of yourselves, so let's move on to Slap Shot. When a scene where Paul is skating around a hockey rink trying to bait a goalie by yelling "Your wife's a lesbian!" isn't even the funniest thing on the docket, you've got yourself a winner. I actually saw this first on cable, which isn't the optimal way to see this film, really.
2. Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger - Billed as "the biggest comedy tour ever," Chris Rock's newest HBO special cuts in between three different shows in three different cities in three different continents. None of which would matter if it wasn't funny, cause Amy don't watch standup for the spectacle. Thank goodness, Chris is back in top form. If I run through all the funny lines in this one - which, in my opinion, is his funniest standup special yet - I'll run out of space. So let's just concentrate on one. Chris is wondering why, after the American invasion of oil-rich Iraq, the price of gas still shot way up. "Let me tell you this: If I invaded KFC, chicken wings will be cheap at my house!"
3. Lost in Austen - In the surprisingly lovely and mature Lost in Austen, a girl named Amanda Price finds a door in her bathroom that leads to the world of her favorite book, Pride and Prejudice. Actually, what happens is that she finds Elizabeth Bennet in her bathroom. Surprised that (a) dude, Elizabeth Bennet is real? and (b) there's a door that leads to her world, which is also real?, Amanda decides to poke around the bizarro Austen universe just a little bit. She comes back only to find the door closed. And now she's stuck in Regency England armed only with a paperback of Pride and Prejudice and her wits.
Apart from Hugh Bonneville from Notting Hill, Gemma Arterton from St. Trinian's and the new Bond movie, and Doctor Who guest stars Alex Kingston (Dr. River Song. Spoiler!) and Florence Hoath (Are you my mommy?), it's a cast of people who are completely unknown to me, but everyone does incredibly well. I kinda sorta love this show. And I kinda sorta want a sequel where Wickham is stranded in our time. If for nothing else, Lost in Austen wins for its re-assessment of Wickham - because yeah, he is kind of a plot coupon, isn't he?
4. Pushing Daisies 201 - This isn't really a review, except to say "Thank goodness it's back although did this episode strike everyone as a bit rushed and a leetle too pleased with itself?" Also, for the US-based peoples, is The Thrifty Nickel an actual supermarket classified newsletter? Cause I heard it last night and I was all "Squee! Middleman shoutout!" and now I'm not all that sure. It was also nice to see Diana Scarwid again, although I wish she got some scenes with Lee Pace. I'm sure Bryan Fuller wouldn't be able to resist one Wonderfalls shoutout for the faithful. Which reminds me, I need to thon that show again.
5. Officially dropping Fringe, Heroes and Ugly Betty. And My Name is Earl is on its last legs. Librarianjessie, just keep me posted if something awesome happens in the Seth Green episodes of Heroes, cause I tried watching the last episode and fell asleep twice. Didn't even know I was sleepy until that show started.