Edward: "You're like my own personal brand of heroin."
Buffy: "What, are you twelve?"
What would happen if Buffy Summers met Edward Cullen? Let's just say Mr. Hunky and Sparkly wouldn't be getting very many smoochies from the Buffster. In fact, the only date I think this Angel-Lite (I don't care if Stephenie Meyer has never seen Buffy, the boy's just a trenchcoat and a couple 1,000 kills away from getting cursed by a pack of gypsies) would get in Sunnydale would be with Mr. Pointy.
P.S. - In other Buffy news, am I the only one totally pumped for the Once More With Feeling at the Bloor?
Mood Music:Oh! Sweet Nuthin' by The Velvet Underground
I'm not sure if you've been watching the failed murder mystery series Harper's Island. Being the underdog aficionado that I am, I have been following this series every week. Until this past week, the show has been mildly interesting and semi-scary at times but nothing too amazing. But after this week's crushing episode, I think I may be in love with this nearly-dead series.
At the end of the episode, one of the main characters and half of the show's cutest couple, Cal, is killed by the murderous John Wakefield. Wakefield stabs Cal and pushes him off a bridge in front of his gf, Chloe, who is holding onto the side of the bridge for her life. The scene is pretty heartbreaking up until then, but it veers into full-on mental melt-down territory when the camera pans back to Chloe.
Just as Wakefield lifts his arm to make Chloe meet the wrong side his machete, a beautifully haunting song by Civil Twilight ("Letters From the Sky") begins to swell in the background. Chloe turns Wakefield and says, "You can't have me", before releasing her grip from the bridge and falling into the deep waters next to her late hubby-to-be.
I am pretty sure you don't care a bit about anything I just said, but trust me, if you had watched the series, you would have made like me and weeped like a baby at the perfectly heartwrenching mix of loss, sacrifice and goosebump-inspiring pop-rock ballad. But if any of what I just said tugged at your heartstrings, check out this show before it gets buried forever in two short weeks.
"You should have seen that sunrise, with your own eyes. It brought me back to life. You'll be with me next time I go outside. No more 3 x 5s." - John Mayer ("3 x 5")
I was having a spontaneous John Mayer listening sesh this evening and I realized, once again, how much this man's lyrics own my soul. Seriously, I don't know how he gets things so dead on all the time. Somehow he manages to take the simpliest sentences and turn them into something so beautiful and bittersweet.
This particular lyric from "3 x 5" particularly pulled at my heart strings tonight. I often wonder if I spend too much time observing and too little time, as my favourite wallflower would put it, "participating". Last week I was just telling my mom that I love to play photographer at family functions because it takes me away from interacting with people. Sure, socializing with barely-there fam and friends may not be as compelling as the life-changing sunrise John speaks of, but you get the idea. Maybe I need to make like Monsieur Mayer, trade in the 3 x 5s and get a solid picture of reality. That is, if I can stop thinking about it and actually get out there. Perhaps this goal won't be as simple as I thought..
P.S. - In case you're wondering, le photograph above (oh, the obvious irony) is from John's 2008 concert at the Molson Ampitheatre. If you haven't seen this man live, you are seriously missing out. And don't bring your camera with you. Cause you'll miss his legendary mid-guitar solo facial orgasms.
Today I watched The Royal Tenenbaums and I fell in love too many times to count. I fell in love with the bright yet faded colors of the film. I fell in love with the quirky narration (done by Alec Baldwin!). I fell in love with the kickass mixed bag of a soundtrack (I'm talking Charlie Brown's "Christmas Time is Here" next to the Rolling Stones). I fell in love with the whole dys-fun-ctional family vibe. But most of all, I fell in love with Richie Tenenbaum.
Richie, played by a weirdly adorable yet hairy Luke Wilson, is an ex-tennis player who has a serious penchant for rocking a headband (the man was way ahead of you poser hipster gals), a khaki blazer and slacks, a polo, a killer shaggy hairdo, an out-of-control beard and of course, an unnecessary pair of tinted spectacles (both inside and outside). In a way, he looks like a cave man who raided a vintage store. And maybe even sometimes, a hobo. But somehow, it works. At least it does on me.
But even though I fell pray to his carefully disheveled style, not everyone else seems to share my feelings. Cue the unrequited - yet still ongoing - love Richie has for his adopted sister, Margot (a wicked Gwyneth Paltrow) in the movie. It's one of those it's-kind-of-weird-but-it's-kind-of-perfect-in-every-way (think Cher and her ex-stepbro, Josh, in Clueless) movie romances that I can't help but root for. Especially when you've got such a puppy-dog hopeless kind of guy at the helm of the sorta misguided devotion.
Speaking of not-so-wise choices, while I was still on my Tenenbaums high today, I decided to give another Wes Anderson flick a go: Rushmore. I wanted to love it so much, but really, it didn't quite grab me in the way Tenenbaums did. I never really liked Max Fisher enough I guess. He kind of had a Holden Caulfield way about him, and to be honest, I'm not a Catcher in the Rye fanatic (but somehow I forgave the fact that the Tenenbaums seemed very similar to the Glass fam in Franny and Zooey, which I was even less into). I will say, however, the music was quite awesome. Any movie that ends with "Ooh La La" by The Faces is okay avec moi.
But I digress. What I'm trying to say is, Richie Tenenbaum is my new Nick Andopolis for the moment. I would have a secret love affair in a indoor tent with him any day. And maybe even OD on black eye liner. After all, a friend once told me I had a Gwyneth Paltrow look about me. But then again, I think they might have been high as a kite at the time. Whatever, I'll take it.
I've never even remotely had an urge to be Peaches Geldolf until right now. Even despite the fact that my boys are either totally hammered or ridiculously bored in this pictoral.
P.S. - Rumor has it, Emile is going to be doing a Hamlet remake with Catherine Hardwicke and the producers of American Beauty and Milk! I'm sure people will hate it, but I'm prety much positive I will be in love with it.
Mood Music:"Don't Let Me Stop You" by Kelly Clarkson
ABC has finally awoken from their ridiculously long lapse in logical thinking (too bad Ned can't revive the alive and brainless) and begun showing the final three episodes of Pushing Daisies. And I couldn't be happier (Whoa. Whoa! I just got visions of "Thank Goodness" from Wicked right there!! Loves it!).
This week's episode, the oh-so-sharply titled "Window Dressed to Kill", was absolutely quirktastic and loverly. The plot itself was rather delish (Ned figures out that he doesn't not love Olive while Emerson and Chuck try and solve some department store deaths) but the best part of the episode was Kristen Chenoweth's latest mid-scene musical outburst. Lionel Ritchie's "Hello" has never sounded so genuinely heartbreaking and fresh. And thanks to Olive's delightfully golden hat, I have never been so overwhelmingly eager to don a furry beret in the midst of summer.
I can't wait to see what the gang from The Pie Hole have in store for us next week when we get one step closer to the end of another unjustly cancelled underdog of a (terrific) series. Can you say, story of my life? I love to love the unloved.
Mood Music:"Birdhouse in Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants
