The Magnificient Twelve, Titanic, and New TV
TV Quote of the Week: "Just because I tell you things doesn't mean you're allowed to know them," Caroline on The Vampire Diaries.
My Life:
I like having one of my kids at college. The daughterling gets to enjoy the benefits of being an only child (something my son got when he was young), and I love texting with my son and reading about his new adventures in college. I've successfully kept to my writing schedule and already had my first sub job. I had subbed for many of the same kids last year so I was called, "Mrs. Evil Octopus," all day by a bunch of happy second graders. Teaching is a lot more fun with a heaping dose of silliness.
Book Review:
The Magnificent Twelve: The Call, by Michael Grant [2010] (*** 1/2) - The Magnificent Twelve is a good choice for fans of The Wimpy Kid series and other fans of irreverent humor or lots of action. Middle-schooler Mack has a lot of phobias. The only thing he isn't afraid of is the school bullies. It's this quality that gets Mack selected to save the world from some ancient villain called, The Pale Queen, who had been sentenced to hell for 3000 years and has just been released. This middle grade fantasy is packed with humor, quirky characters, and lots of action. Apparently it's the first book in the series because the ending is pure cliffhanger. [For ages 8-12. Read the eBook on Nook for Droid.]
Movies:
Titanic (****) - Titanic is one of the many popular movies I didn't see in the early to mid-90's, when my kids were young and needy. The story pulled me in and made me care about these characters. It dealt with a lot of issues that are becoming problems again, like class inequality and the dangers of capitalism without regulation. Mostly, the movie made me feel like I was right there on the ship while it was sinking and suddenly I cared about the 1,500 plus people that died in this tragedy long ago.
TV:
Doctor Who, season 6, pt. 2 (*** 1/2) - I am liking the second half of this season a lot more than the first half. The emotional level has simmered down to realistic levels, Rory is fun and reasonable, and there have been a number of good plots.
New Girl, pilot (** 1/2) - Quirky Jess (played by Zooey Deschanel) decides to get over her breakup with her cheating boyfriend by living with 3 guys she met through a Craigslist ad. I liked the actors in the show and I enjoyed some of Jess's odd quirks (like how she has her own theme song), but there were a ton of tired gender stereotypes in the pilot. Plus, Deschanel's Jess is pretty much a manic-pixie dream girl (kind of like the modern dumb blonde updated for a new century.). I'm willing to give the show a couple more chances to see if they iron out some of these problems.
Ringer, pilot (***) - Sarah Michelle Geller (Buffy) stars in this noir-mystery soap opera about twin sisters. There was a lot of exposition in the plot but I was intrigued enough to keep watching and see what the writers do with these characters.
The Vampire Diaries, season 3 (****) - The season premiere was as fun and exciting as the first two seasons. Can't wait for the next episode!
The Secret Circle, pilot (***) - This soap opera about a town of secret witches is written by the same people that wrote The Vampire Diaries, so the plot speeds along with secrets and intrigue, though so far, it lacks the zany fun of its sister show. Instead the show has a very CW vibe about with plenty of beautiful people and soapy teen happenings. The Vampire Diaries also started off overly soapy for the first 6-8 episodes, so I'm willing to give it a few more chances to impress me.
Up All Night, pilot (*** 1/2) - I enjoyed this show about new parents. While the pilot wasn't laugh aloud funny, it did make me smile a lot. I love how Christina Applegate's and Will Arnett's characters manage to be a caring couple, totally in love with their baby daughter, without being saccharine or clichéd. The show explores work-home issues in a fresh way with lots of respect for both the working parent and the stay at home parent. Part of the freshness is accomplished by having the man stay home and the woman go to work -- a trend I see a lot more in real life too.