Movie Mom: Reviews by a mom for moms on new releases, DVD picks and hot TV shows.

Uninspired...

Well, that's how I feel right now.  Uninspired.  I just can't seem to write much of anything.  It's not for lack of movie watching.  We've watched The Kingdom (Peter Berg directed movie that is basically Friday Night Lights in Saudi Arabia - a good watch), Lions for Lambs (excellent performances by all - Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, with the best by up-&-comer Andrew Garfield), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (altogether unmemorable or should I say unwatchable, which is saying a lot from someone who actually enjoyed the first two movies), The Love Guru (god awful, I said in a previous post that Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer may have been the worst movie ever, but amazingly Mike Myers has figured out a way to top it - when the "climax" of your movie is two elephants getting it on at a hockey game you know your career as a filmmaker is officially over), I Am Legend (not bad, never quite delivers on the whole thrills & chills level though), Dan in Real Life (a rare bright spot - Steve Carrell confirms that he is truly a star on all levels), Into the Wild (another bright spot, but totally haunting) & Charlie Wilson's War (completely overlooked by most of the awards from last year, but all involved shine - Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman).

I guess I'm not alone though, because pretty much all of the big-name movie critics have lamented about 2008 being a sub-par movie-going year.  I don't know if it was because of the writer's strike or even the economy, but 2008 held very few bright spots (the ones I mentioned above were actually from 2007 - of late Netflix isn't coming up with many decent DVD's from 2008).  So, I'm sending it out to all of you good people.  What were your favourite movies of 2008?  What inspired you?  What was disappointing?  I'd love to hear, so maybe, just maybe, I could be inspired too!

Random Ramblings of a TV Addict

I have to be honest with you.  I'm just spent.  Between baking Christmas cookies, 3 sick boys (yep, including the big one), planning a gift wrapping party, trying (in vain) to keep the house clean for said gift wrapping party, stocking stuffers & a veggie tray for the pre-school Christmas party, my sister-in-law calling & asking if we could buy presents for our kids from them because she doesn't have time (for the second year in row), & 5 nagging continuing-ed credits looming over my head for the previous incarnation of myself that I may someday go back to, well I'm just spent.  Not to mention the fact that this is the first Christmas we are truly alone, with no family visiting, & I'm feeling a little far away right now.

That being said, I have a few random thoughts about TV right now (because there's always time for random thoughts).

1.  Is January never going to arrive?!?!?  I'm not usually one to gloss over Christmas & even the whole month of December for that matter, but come on!!!  January can't come soon enough. 

   

Just two of the many reasons to look forward to January.  Lost returns January 21 for its penultimate season, & boy oh boy do we ever have questions.  (Stop reading now if you are not up to date - spoilers ahead).  Why is Locke in the coffin?  How did he die?  Is he even dead?  Speaking of dead, is Jin dead?  Does Hurley keep seeing dead people?  Are the Oceanic 6 going to try to "go back" to the island, as Jack believes they need to.  And speaking of that Island, where the frak (gratuitous Battlestar reference) did it go?  Or maybe the question should be (as much of the internet speculation seems to point to), when the frak is the island?  Lost certainly got its groove back last season & I'm hoping that it just continues along the same path.  It will be a fun ride.  Battlestar Galactica returns for season 4.5 (yep, that's right .5) January 16.  We got the first 10 episodes of season 4 last spring & we've been waiting around ever since to find out "what now?" now that earth seems to be no more than a nuclear wasteland.  Oh ya, & there is that little, tiny secret as to who is the final Cylon.  Just a minor thing though.

2.  Is it weird that my hubby finds Caillou's Mom to be a tiny bit hot?!?  Or is it just more telling about the current state of our television watching?

3.  Why do I repeatedly give reality shows another chance?  I really want to hit my head against a brick wall or slam my hand in a book (maybe I should just read a few more of those & I wouldn't be in this predicament) for getting myself hooked on another ridiculous reality show, even though I profess to hate the genre as a whole.  The culprit?  The Biggest Loser: Families.

What started out as a fairly honest & decent show about parents/children & husbands/wives trying to lose weight & get healthy has turned into an all out game.  When I watched last week's episode with possibly the most scheming (I wanted to say vile but that seems a tad harsh) "contestant" (Vicki) to ever grace the show & her totally duped cohorts jumping around on a bed (after they had just sent home a "great friend") as they screamed about making it to the final four, well I just wanted to vomit then punch the screen.  All of the decent, honest people who went home, & these 3 are left???  I like the idea of this show, but the fact that it has turned into such a game is so disappointing.

4. How did I live before my Tivo/PVR?  Well I'm getting a chance to find out.  It died a few days ago (moment of silence, please).  I never knew how much this was a part of my life until it was gone.  Never having to draw straws to see who goes to check what the unexplained "thud" is from upstairs, shortly after both boys are in bed...just pause & go.  If bedtime is running a little late, no biggie, just pause & its waiting there for you dutifully when you return (the only thing in my life that waits dutifully for me).  Being a magician mom because I can seemingly conjure Caillou, Wonderpets & Charlie Brown out of thin air. So the last one is a bit of a double-edged sword, but it has allowed me to make many-a-dinner (relatively) uninterrupted.  My only hope is that it will return to my life as soon as possible.

Catch the new season of The Biggest Loser Jan 6 on NBC (wow, that was fast!!  Do they just have a constant rotation of people at the "ranch"??).  They are billing it as the "biggest" season yet, with the heaviest contestant, the heaviest woman, & the oldest couple to ever compete on the show.   Lost returns to Wednesday nights Jan 21 on ABC.  If you feel so inclined & you have, oh say about 80-some-odd hours to kill, you can catch up on all 4 seasons at abc.com.  If only I had 80-some-odd hours to kill!!Battlestar returns to Sci-fi (US) & Space Channel (Canada), Fridays at 10pm.  Mercifully, the people at Battlestar/Sci-fi have created a 13-minute recap to get you up to speed.  I think I have 13 minutes to spare!

The Life and Times of Tim - Not for the easily offended

So, this weekend I was up north with my husband's family and my 19 year old nephew introduced me to this new HBO series called The Life and Times of Tim. This has got to be the funniest show I have seen in ages. Mind you, it is not for the easily offended. It is definitely adult humour - raunchy and politically incorrect - but I haven't laughed like that in ages.

So, I found a sneak peek on YouTube. It is too funny. I will definitely be adding this to my PVRd list and watching it when I need a good laugh. Let me know what you think!

This TV Show was reviewed by Jen.

New TV Season! New TV Season!

Kath here, parachuting in for new mom Margot, who barely has time to remember her own middle name never mind watch TV or go to movies, so busy is she with her little guys.

And given that I am el-cheapo, I also have not been to any movies lately (although I did watch Sex and the City three times on the flight home from London). We do, however, spend an inordinate amount of money on TV in this household, so I thought I'd do a little top 5 preview on all the shows I'm getting excited about for this NEW! TV season.

First and foremost, my absolute, all-time, fave show EVAH is back, and with a lovely Canuck twist. That's right: my top pick for Fall 2008 is...

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA

There are no words to express how much I loved the American version of this show (I actually only watched Season 4), and I am already gearing up to love SYTYCD Canada every bit as much. First of all, my favourite choreographer is back but in a bigger role...Jean-Marc Genereux is top judge. Secondly, holy wow but can Canadian dancers dance or what?!!? There is a lot of talent in this little pond, folks, so don't be shy...set that PVR for CTV on Wednesdays AND Thursdays (starting again October 1st).

And if you just can't catch the show, check out my other blog, This Is Kat, for my take on the best numbers and my favourite dancers of each episode.

SURVIVOR: GABON

Okay, I'll admit it. I had to look up Gabon -- but then again, I have had to look up a number of the other Survivor locales in previous seasons, too. And no, I did not have to look up Africa, China or Australia! To save you the trouble, Gabon is a country in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo and the Gulf of Guinea.

Billed as "Earth's Last Eden", this season of Survivor pits 18 hapless castaways against each other in the inevitable fight for ONE MILLION DOLLARS (said in best Doctor Evil voice). And if you didn't catch the heavy-handed clue in the subtitle, the main theme of the series apparently shapes up to be a battle of good vs. evil (oh, goody. I love that kind). And in case you still didn't catch it (some times I can be that dense, too, so don't feel bad), the clue is Eden. As in garden of. But then the producers of Survivor are masters of the heavy-handed -- and often deliberately misleading -- clue.

But there is a first for this, the 17th season of the first mega-hit reality show: it's filmed in HD, which is a thrill for anyone who owns a big-screen, high-definition TV. Sometimes we just like to watch something other than FOOTBALL and NATURE SHOWS in HD, ya know?

It premieres Thursday, September 25 on CBS. At 8pm ET/PT but do that timeshifting thang if you wanna. Just be sure to record the HD channel - it'll be worth it this season!

THE AMAZING RACE

This Emmy-award-winning reality program (it has won ALL SIX Emmys in its category since the creation of the category!) is anther hit for CBS. Premiering Sunday, September 28 at 8pm ET/PT, this is one the whole family can enjoy...especially the armchair "quarterbacks" like me and my hubby; totally convinced that we could kick ass on "The Race" after our 2 week European holiday!

This is one show that really is more about good ol' human ingenuity and teamwork than how you look in a bikini (sorry, Survivor...I still love ya though). And even though the first episode has yet to air, I already have a favourite team. Meet Anita and Arthur, beekeepers and organic blueberry farmers by day, Santa Claus and Mother Nature by night. Dontcha just want to hug them and then sing some folk songs and ask them for really wise advice? I do.

THE TUDORS

Ha! I so do not watch only reality TV!

Well, finally we humble Canadians will get to watch Season 2 of HBOs smash hit as it follows Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn on their train-wreck of a marriage. And be warned...things will get darker this season, as Anne fails to deliver the promised son (darned Elizabeth...what a nobody she turned out to be!)

Likely there's not a person out there who doesn't already know the outcome of their relationship, which makes Henry's deathgrip on Anne's "little neck" (she's famously quoted as saying " and I have a little neck" on the way to the scaffold) all the more meaningful in the poster above.

Wheuh. Gives me the heebie-jeebies. Still, there's not a chance that I'll miss this show. But do not. I repeat, DO. NOT. let your children watch it. Seriously. Unless you want to be paying for psychiatrists for the next 20 years.

The Tudors premieres on September 30th at 9pm (local) on CBC.

VIDEO ON TRIAL

This hilarious MuchMusic dish-fest is definitely also not for the junior set, but after a long day of work and, well, work (aka caring for the family) this is a delightfully fun way to unwind. Plus, it makes you feel smart! And not only smart compared to regular people: smarter and better than big pop stars who make millions of dollars!

Mondays at 6:30 pm or catch reruns on Much at other dates & times.

Why I STILL Love The X-Files

So, I haven't been doing a lot of movie watching lately.  I've been too busy watching these guys...

Okay, shameless I know.  But how could I resist.

What I have discovered is a magical hour from 1-2pm each day when both of these little farts darlings are asleep & I can eat my lunch in peace.  And SciFi channel has done me a favour to have The X-Files on every weekday during this time.  I know, I should probably be sleeping, but I saw this was on one day & thought I'd tune in for nostalgia's sake.  I was a huge fan of this show.  Never missed an episode.  Until I did my Master's & all of my classes were in the evening.  This was in the pre-TIVO/PVR days, & frankly VCRs were never my fortay, so The X-Files & I lost touch.  It was like a friend who lived far away, I was still very fond of it, but circumstance stood in my way.  So, I thought I would rekindle my affection for Mulder & Scully during my 1 peaceful hour a day.  To my surprise I caught the seasons that I never saw the first time around.  Sans Mulder & Scully pretty much reduced to autopsy-patrol.  I remember reading, at the time, about their "replacements" & thinking "what are they thinking, Mulder & Scully can never be replaced!!" 

Maybe that was another reason I didn't watch.  Robert Patrick?  Annabeth Gish???  Oh how wrong could one be.  These two were amazing.  Robert Patrick is truly an underrated actor.  His portrayal of FBI Agent John Doggett, as the skeptic to Scully's skeptic, the "straight man", was always compelling & enjoyable.  Gish's Agent Monica Reyes was the believer in the supernatural nature of the X-Files, & she portrayed her with such a great sense of humour she couldn't help but remind you a little of Fox Mulder.  These two really got a bad rap for causing the end of the show, but they were just the scapegoats.  Many shows have continued to be successful after stars leave, but I think the creators truly underestimated how much of the show was solely about the Mulder-Scully dynamic for so many of the fans.  And lets face it, fans are fickle & were not willing to give the new guys a chance.

So The X-Files came to an end in 2002, but I can tell you that its touch is still felt throughout television today.  Shows like Lost, Heroes, & J.J. Abrams newest Fringe, should be giving The X-Files a big tip of the hat for the idea of a show "mythos" or overlying story-arc.  Even traditional, non-sci-fi shows, like CSI & Law & Order, owe big props to The X-Files for the idea of the maybe-more-than-just-a-partner dynamic.  The X-Files certainly has long reaching arms.  They are reaching for me right now!!

As much as I love you folks, I'm gonna sign off now because the series finale is waiting patiently on my TIVO right now.  I am not so patient.  Lunch will have to be a bowl of cereal because a sandwich would keep me away too long from "the truth" being out there! 

What would you watch to dull the pain of labour?

Well, as you have probably assumed by my absence here over the last week, our newest little one arrived on Saturday a week & a half early.  Luckily, my Mom had arrived a few days early because of my wonderful late pregnancy issues.  She was due to arrive that afternoon around 2:30pm.  Needless to say we were a bit busy about that time.

My water broke around 7am, as I was cuddling in bed with my little guy & my big guy.  Since my water broke last time I had a vague idea of the timing & insisted on a shower & breakfast before heading out to the hospital.  We arrived at the hospital & were ushered into a room to be assessed.  Apparently they don't like to "check" (you know what I mean) women as much anymore, especially if your water breaks, so they just let me know that I was to ask if I wanted someone to "check" me.  I sort of felt that I could handle things better not knowing, I was more apt to be able to work through the pain myself without as much intervention.  (I have to say that I am not one of those women who had a big birth plan, I just don't like the idea of being numb from the waist down, that's just me.  And frankly, my first labour went pretty quickly & I missed the "window" for the epidural & was able to deal with it so I thought it might be similar with the second.)

So my hubby & I sat down & flicked on the tv (isn't that what everyone does when they are labour?!?) to try to pass the time.  As a little aside, my hubby has a bit of a crush on Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel.  I have taken to calling her shows (Passport to Europe, Passport to Latin America) travel porn.  For a while there we had about a dozen episodes recorded on the DVR.  And couldn't you just imagine my surprise when my hubby stumbled across what seemed like a travel porn marathon on the little tv in the hospital.  There was Samantha Brown wandering around Brazil, with her pert little smile, just mocking me laying there in that bed.  I pretty much said to my hubby at that point "If you think that I am going to sit here in labour with your child & watch Samantha Brown you have got to be kidding yourself!"  He reluctantly obliged & we found something much more appropriate to watch during this wonderful event.

I think it was Jurassic Park.

Anyway, we welcomed our newest little guy at 3:38pm last Saturday.  I missed the epidural again this time, but everything went so quickly that we were lucky to get the dr. there in time to catch him.  The little guy had to stay a few extra days, but we are all home now & enjoying each other's company.

Thanks for letting me share with you a little of our exciting week.

The Best Show on TV That you are Probably Not Watching

I know you are asking "So, which show is that exactly Margot?"  I'll get to that, but I really want you to stick with me on this one & not rush to judgment, so let me state my case first.

What has been lacking on TV for quite some time?  A few more sexy male bum shots ala Ricky Schroder on NYPD Blue (NOT Dennis Franz though, that doesn't count)?  Certainly, but really not what I was getting at.  What we have been lamenting about for months/years is a lack of quality shows with quality writing.  This has certainly been exacerbated by the writer's strike, but even before that the pickens were pretty slim.  What if I told you there was a show with clever & original writing that addressed current topics without coming across as preachy, a fabulous cast of flawed, multi-layered characters, a plot that is driving towards an eventual end/goal, & a smattering of sex (or at least sexual tension) just to keep everyone interested?  Sound interesting?  Now what if I told you it was on Sci-Fi Network (Space Network in Canada)?  I hope that sound wasn't people collectively hitting their "Back" buttons on their browsers.

The show I, of course, refer to is Battlestar Galactica.

And yes, it is sci-fi.  But not in the sense of sci-fi being a genre.  I read somewhere that Brad Bird (creator of Disney's mega-hit The Incredibles) hated when people called animation a genre, because that implied that there had to be singing animals & a princess in every animated movie.  He believes that animation is just the vehicle or medium to tell a story (whether it be G rated or R rated).  Battlestar Galactica does the same thing for sci-fi.  The sci-fi part is just the vehicle to tell the story.  Indeed, it is set in space.  There are spaceships, planets, the occasional spaceship fight, but that is not what this show is really about.  It is about politics, faith, religion, questioning authority, questioning one's beliefs, friendship, loyalty, betrayal, right, wrong, shades of gray, & throwing us viewers big old curveballs just when we think we might have it all figured out.  And what makes it all work is a fan-frakking-tastic cast who you care about, even the "bad-guys."  (Oh ya, & the fact that they use the word "frak" as a substitute for our most colourful of swear-words & can get away with it.  It may be geeky, but it is also just fun to say.)

The show is a "re-imagining" of the ever-so cheesy 1978 original by the same name.  I can never remember if that was the one with the little robot that went "deeby-deeby-deeby" or the one with the strange, furry robot-dog.  Suffice it to say that this Battlestar Galactica has nothing to do with either of those things.  Basic premise is that humans created Cylons as machines to do our work.  Unfortunately the Cylons rebelled, evolved & basically waged an all-out nuclear attack on humankind.  One military ship & a small group of civilian ships survived the attack & are basically on the run from the Cylons trying to find the mythical planet Earth.  I know, wait 'til they see what we've done with it.  It won't seem so mythical.

Now, I know that my little synopsis did nothing to do away with the sci-fi image, but again, it's not about the running or really even finding Earth, it's about what the running & quest for Earth does to these characters & how they react to this stressful existence.  One of my fav episodes was from the second season & it dealt with the President of the "12 colonies" having to make a decision as to whether or not to outlaw abortion.  When less than 50,000 people are all that exist of the human race do you put aside your personal beliefs to ensure the future of humanity, or are you losing your humanity in the process?  It was some pretty heady stuff, but it presented both sides as convincing arguments.

Oh ya, & did I mention that the women rock on this show.  The President is a woman.  Women are fighter pilots, mechanics, admirals, judges, mothers, lovers, & just about everything else.  And there is no "ma'am."  Women are called "sir."  I love that.

This incarnation of Battlestar has been a critics darling (the show won the prestigious Peabody award for excellence in radio & TV programming) from the get go & originally started out with some of the highest ratings in Sci-Fi channel (as well as all of cable network) history. It has since settled down into a small, yet respectable, ratings draw for Sci-Fi.  Hence why I figure you just aren't watching it. The good thing is it isn't too late.  Seasons 1-3 are all available on DVD & are sooooo enjoyable that it is the rare TV show that is actually re-watchable.  But if you don't really feel like investing that much time before you check out this Friday's new episode (what, you don't have almost 50 hrs to spare over the next 4 days?!?) you can get caught up by this great 8-minute video called "What the Frak is Going on" or on Entertainment Weekly's website with the Battlestar Galactica Cheat Sheet.   

Battlestar just started up its 4th & final (sniffle) season last Friday.  Do yourself a favour & check your preconceived notions about all things sci-fi at the door & just sit down & enjoy some of the best writing, acting, directing, editing, etc. on TV.  It airs Fridays on Space (Canada) & Sci-Fi (US) at 10pm ET/7pm PT.

Wallowing

I'm wallowing in my own misery over here.  The little guy got sick.  You name it, we did it last week.  Birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese?  Check.  Birthday party at the Aquarium?  Check.  Gym class at the Y?  Check.  Various playdates?  Check.  I'm sure he got sick from one of these places (why do I feel the need to figure out where), but either way, we all know what a little person being sick means.  Mommy gets sick.  Pregnant & a head cold is an ugly combination.  And it brings out the oh-so best in me (no sarcasm, at all).

So anyway, I have not been holding up my end of the bargain on the movie reviews this week (a big whopping zero movies watched).  Since I have spent most of my free time (ha, what exactly is that) in front of the tube watching whatever my remote control can find.  I have a few observations:

1.  People eat weird things on tv - I am soooo glad that Fear Factor is no longer on the air, because that was truly a disgusting show.  As a little aside, is it really true that George Clooney's girlfriend/fiance (depending on who you are asking) was a contestant on this show?  Because George can do soooooooo much better than that.  Back to my point.  The "weird eating" portion of Fear Factor seems to be masquerading itself on legitimate tv channels like Discovery,Travel Channel, & Food Network.  Bizarre Foods, No Reservations, & Dirty Jobs, just to name a few.  All I can say is I hope that they get paid a lot.

2.  Apparently we are going to hell in a handbasket - Or so the Discovery, TLC, History, etc. channel programming would like us to believe.  I managed to watch over a 2-night span documentaries on oil, the world after humans, global warming, & people actually trying to genetically engineer Dinosaurs.  Fire & Brimstone?  Check.  Now I wonder if there's a margarita bar somewhere around here?   

3.  There is pretty much nothing on worth watching except Lost - Prove me wrong.  And please don't bring up Survivor or some other lame reality show.  I tried to get back into The Biggest Loser & it just wasn't cutting it.  But Lost!!  Oh Lost!!  How I love thee!!  How I worship the ground that Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof walk on.  How they have brought this show back from the brink.  And this from someone who hated the season finale last year & the all of a sudden flash-forwards.  And its not too late to hop on board.  We got my Dad hooked on the show (he now hates us for it, because he hasn't followed a serial drama for years) & he can hardly wait for Thursday nights.  So if he can hop on the bandwagon, so can you.  You won't regret it. 

4.  "Gosh there's a lot of Jesus shows on tv this week!?!" - This was my observation to my husband last night after flipping through the 2nd consecutive night of multiple channel programming on Jesus (his life, the truth, the this, the that, you name it, there was a show on it).  As my hubby turned towards me with a slight smile, I realized.  IT'S EASTER WEEK, IDIOT!!!  Of course, my hubby never said that.  He's too nice.  He just patted me on the head & said "that's okay honey, don't think too hard."

So I think that I will go & continue to wallow in my own misery (no one else is gonna so I might as well) & hope that sick little guy & sick Mommy pass really soon.  There is even a rumour about a date-night on the horizon, so hopefully I will actually have a movie review in this movie review column of mine someday soon!

Wish me luck!!!

Not Too Bad...My Crystal Ball Lives to See Another Day!

So, my Oscar predictions were not too bad.  I think my crystal ball will live to see another day!

I was soooo happy that Tilda Swinton won for Best Supporting Actress.  She was fab in the movie, & I just loved her expression of total shock when she won.  Her dress left something to be desired...but I have to hand it to her, she is unique.

Javier Bardem.  Man, that guy is just yummy.  And the accent.  Swoon.  Lucky Penelope Cruz.  Love that he brought his Mom to the Oscars!

I was a bit surprised that Marion Cotillard won for Best Actress, I figured the whole "the movie is in french" thing had the cards stacked against her.  But I loved her speech.  My hubby thought she went a little far, my response was "she's French."  Which of course we both shrugged & moved on.

Soooo would have loved Clooney to win...he looked just dashing.  Old Hollywood dashing.  Daniel Day Lewis is always so gracious in his acceptance of awards, so that was a fine consolation prize.  Speaking of prizes, did Daniel's wife decide she needed to wrap herself up like a present including a giant Christmas bow right smack between her boobs?!?  Yikes!

Very happy for the Coen Bros that they finally won an Oscar.  Did anyone else realize that Joel (taller, curly-haired one) is married to Frances McDormand of Fargo (& sooo many others) fame?!?  I just loved the shots of her cheering her hubby on from the audience.  Now there's a "Hollywood marriage" that we should celebrate.  24 years these 2 have been married.

I actually enjoyed Jon Stewart as the host.  It is pretty much a bum-deal hosting anyway, & you have to do something so spectacular to even get decent reviews.  So I would say he did a great job (personally, I like his type of humour) & really kept the show trudging along.  And oh did it trudge in spots!  I think he had two great lines during his opening monologue:

"Diablo Cody used to be an exotic dancer, & now she's an Oscar-nominated screenwriter.  I hope you're enjoying the paycut."

"Normally when you see a black man or a woman president, an asteroid is about to hit the statue of Liberty."

I laughed so hard at both of these.  If you want to check out the whole monologue here it is...

I have to say that the best moment for me was when Jon Stewart called Best Original Song winner, Marketa Irglova, back on stage after the commercial break so that she could say her thank-you's.  The orchestra so rudely cut her off after her partner, Glen Harsard, spoke (rather briefly & eloquently if you ask me).  Kudos to Jon for doing such an honourable thing as to give this woman her moment to shine.  She certainly earned it.

My most awkward moment had to be the mugging that Jen Garner received during the pre-ceremony red carpet gauntlet.  Well, if you haven't seen it check it out...

Poor girl.  My one question is, what in the name of Pete is Gary Busey doing at the Oscars?!?!?!?"  Is he a legend or something?  Does he have a movie out?  How crazy is that?!?  Seacrest did his best at trying to keep the damage of the scene to a minimum, but honestly when Ryan Seacrest is speechless that is saying something!  I won't give Seacrest too much kudos though, because not even 10 min before this he actually asked Jessica Alba if she planned on breastfeeding!!!  Yikes!!!

Make sure you go check out Ali's take on the Oscars, especially the fashions (she is soooooo much better at that stuff than I am) over at the Juice.  And frankly while you're at it check out THE funniest video ever by Jimmy Kimmel.  Thanks to Ali for bringing that to us.  I have honestly watched it about 5 times & it just keeps getting funnier.

So let me know what you thought of the Oscars in the comments section below.  What did you love? What did you hate?  Big disappointments?  Fav Moment?

My Oscar Crystal Ball

So they actually have done it.  Well, in another 7 hrs we'll see if they actually can pull off a decent show, but for all intents-&-purposes the people responsible for the Academy Awards have pulled off getting an awards show up & running in 10 days.  We now know that there would have been a "show" no matter what: one heavy on movie & past Oscar ceremony clips (i.e. NO stars) or one with all the glitz & glamour that we have become accustomed too (read: Joan bagging on everyone while Melissa roles her eyes like a 15-yr old embarrassed teen).  Apparently Jon Stewart has brought on extra writers, & they have been working around the clock, to get his material ready for the big show.  The biggest kudos has to go to Gil Cates (the big show's producer), who was apparently instrumental in getting the 2 sides in the writers strike back to the table so the strike could be settled.  Although I'm sure his efforts were not altogether altruistic (he obviously had a big old horse named Oscar in that race), I for one am grateful as his efforts seem to have salvaged many of our fav tv shows (13 instead of 8 episodes of Lost...yay) from dying a slow death.

But enough of that.  On this gloomy, rainy So. Cal day we will be treated to gowns, tuxes, production numbers, jokes, boring speeches, & maybe even an actual genuine moment of emotion (don't hold your breath though, this is Hollywood congratulating itself after all).  I have never pretended to be a movie expert & I frankly have not even seen all of the films from the major categories, but I would like to look into my crystal ball & tell you who I want to win & who will win.  Make sure to give your predictions in the comments section below & to check back on Monday to see if I should retire my crystal ball or keep it for another year.

Best Supporting Actress

Nominated: Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There), Ruby Dee (American Gangster), Saoirse Ronan (Atonement), Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone), Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)

Who I Want Win: I would love to see Tilda Swinton win.  First, because I've actually seen the movie,  second because she was riveting as a corporate attorney who didn't quite buy into the story she was spinning, but oh did she keep spinning it.

Who Will Win: Cate Blanchett.  If you don't know about this movie, she plays Bob Dylan for a portion of it (yep, Bob Dylan).  Oscar voters love it when actresses alter their appearance to go out on a limb for a role (e.g. Hillary Swank - Boys Don't Cry).  She's nominated also in the Best Actress category, but this is probably her best shot.

Best Supporting Actor

Nominated: Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James...), Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Charlie Wilson's War), Hal Holbrook (Into the Wild), Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton)

Who I Want to Win: Definitely Tom Wilkinson.  His performance is just amazing, you are never quite sure whether he is truly mad or a genius.

Who Will Win: Javier Bardem.  From what my parents have told me (honestly I think they've seen every movie nominated....I can hardly wait for retirement) he should win it hands down.  Plus, I think he deserves some sort of award for living with that hair (yes that's his hair) for the entire filming.

Best Actress

Nominated: Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age), Julie Christie (Away From Her), Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose), Laura Linney (The Savages), Ellen Page (Juno).

Who I Want to Win: Do you even need to ask?  Ellen Page.  She was brilliant, in every sense of the word.  My only hesitation is that sometimes an Oscar early in a career can be the kiss of death (see Mira Sorvino) & I really want to see soooo much more from young lady.

Who Will Win: Julie Christie seems to be the fav right now for her turn as an Alzheimer's patient, but frankly this is probably the most open race of them all, so be on the look-out for an upset (say maybe Laura Linney)

Best Actor

Nominated: George Clooney (Michael Clayton), Daniel-Day Lewis (There Will be Blood), Johnny Depp (Sweeny Todd), Tommy Lee Jones (In the Valley of Elah), Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises).

Who I Want To Win: George Clooney.  This is for totally selfish, non-performance related reasons (although he is fantastic in the movie).  I think that very few men look better in a tux & very few people can deliver an honest, funny & sincere speech off the cuff.  George Clooney fits both soooo well.

Who Will Win: Daniel-Day Lewis.  This won't upset me too much because I love him too.  He comes out of hiding every 5 or so years just to remind us how brilliant he is & then he retreats nicely back into his private life which he has managed to maintain so well.  He should honestly run a course for celebrities on "how to not let fame destroy your life."

Best Director

Nominated: Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will be Blood), Ethan & Joel Coen (No Country for Old Men), Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton), Jason Reitman (Juno), Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell & The Butterfly).

Who I Want to Win: Definitely Jason Reitman for Juno.  His use of the slow fade-to-black, the cross-country team running by, & quick, sharp wit were just genius.  Admittedly he had some amazing material to put on the screen, but he certainly was the vision behind the movie.

Who Will Win:  The Coen Brothers.  The other nominees are pretty much all newcomers, & if there was ever an award where Academy voters reward a body of someone's work, it is Best Director.

Best Picture

Nominated: Atonement, Juno, Michael Clayton, No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood

Who I want to Win: Juno.  Like I said in my review, I believe it was the best movie of last year.  I'm actually fairly proud of myself that I have seen 3 of the 5 nominees, but for me Juno will always stick out.  The movie is so different than what we are used to seeing, it really can't be categorized into any genre.  And frankly I think it holds its own with any of these nominees.

Who Will Win: No Country For Old Men.  But this is where it gets interesting.  I think this movie is a shoe-in if the Coen Brothers win Best Director.  If they don't then I think the race for Best Pic gets blown wide open.  If that is the case I think that Atonement may pick up the big award, partly because it has no other major noms, & because Academy voters love period pieces, especially tragic ones.

So, we'll see in another few hours if my clairvoyance is in tune with Academy voters (which if it is, I'm a bit frightened), or if I should pack it in as far as prognostications go.  Either way, it will be fun to watch, even if it is just to see the celebs deal with the rain (I'm personally going to be on the look-out for frizzy hair & wet trains).  Have fun all & enjoy!

TV: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

So, Sunday night pretty much summed up the state of affairs as far television goes these days.  Now mind you all of this is mitigated by the writer's strike, but really, it wouldn't be all that much better with them (harsh, I know).  We basically got exposed to the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly.

The Good

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - I know you are all going "Sci-fi, maybe not", but honestly it is quite good.  And entertaining too.  It picks up 2 years after the events of T2, but pretty much for the most part ignores T3 (which frankly is a good thing...everyone should have ignored it).  Sarah (Lena Headley of 300 fame) is trying to keep her now 15 yr-old future-resistance-leader & humankind-saviour son John safe, when the terminators show up again.  We have a new terminator buddy for John played by Summer Glau (The 4400, Firefly) & she basically goes about kicking arse with perfect hair.  Unlike another female cyborg reincarnation from this fall's TV lineup (namely the abysmal Bionic Woman), this show actually has a heart.  Her name is Sarah Connor.  Lena Headley steps into the very big shoes left by Linda Hamilton, & does a great job.  Sarah loves her son, but knows she can never let her guard down, nor allow him too.  Ratings dropped off on the second night (Monday) of the two-night premiere, but with very little other competition it certainly has a chance.  It also has the good fortune of being on FOX which seems to be the only major network not hurting from the strike.  May have something to do with a little show called American Idol (returning for its 7th season tonight).  Maybe you've heard of it?

Masterpiece Theatre: The Complete Jane Austen - Between now & the beginning of April, Masterpiece Theatre (which has been re-christened just Masterpiece...a bit edgier, no?!?) is broadcasting the entire works of one Ms. Jane Austen, plus a dramatization of her own life.  It really speaks volumes about her writing, & for female writers in general, that we are still to this day so captivated by her words.  Sunday night's offering was a new version of Persuasion starring Sally Hawkins & the, frankly, dreamy (I know...dreamy?!?  But go check him for yourself) Rupert Penry-Jones.  I find this to be one of Ms. Austen's most straightforward stories, with not a lot of back story or extraneous characters to keep track of.  Basically, Anne Elliott is the 27-year old (egads, throw her off a bridge, she must be useless), unmarried, middle daughter of Sir Walter Elliott, who was convinced 8 years previous to decline the offer of marriage to a young naval officer, Frederick Wentworth.  Anne & Captain Wentworth's paths cross again when, with her family on the brink of financial ruin (due to her father & elder sister's outlandish lifestyles), his sister & her husband rent out the Elliott family estate.  In true Austen fashion, Anne & Wentworth are placed in a series of awkward situations in which only they know their true history together.  This is probably one of the most sombre of Austen's novels, a bit telling in that it was her last.  The movie is done entirely in gray tones (did the sun actually shine in Austen's England?) to reflect the mood, as such Anne's father & elder sister end up looking that much more foolish (Anthony Head of Buffy fame, does a particularly great job as Anne's father).  Of course, we get our happy ending, as well as the longest lead up to a kiss that you will probably ever see (yet so much sexier than a lot of the "in-your-face" stuff that we are used to today).  If you have a chance to catch this adaptation, please do, it is 90 min & not a minute wasted.  Next up for Masterpiece is a new adaptation of Northanger Abbey (Sun Jan 20, 9pm).  Masterpiece itself has received a bit of a makeover with a new host (Gillian Anderson), new set, & new scheduling which will split the year into Masterpiece Classic, Masterpiece Mystery & Masterpiece Contemporary.  No doubt all of the changes are to attract a younger audience, & frankly they will have a good shot if the writer's strike keeps the network shows shut down much longer.

The Bad

Maybe bad is a little harsh, let's say mediocre.  Basically re-runs & reality programs.  CBS trotted out a new episode of The Amazing Race, which although I've heard good things about in the past, I just can't get into, & a TV movie called Commanche Moon (prequel to Lonesome Dove).  Honestly, does CBS think that this is what the public is demanding?  Who's running the programming over there, Bo & Luke Duke?!?  ABC delivered 2 straight hours (1 new, 1 re-run) of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition & then the last new episode of Brother's & Sister's, which has become extremely tedious in its sophomore season.  The only tiny bright spot for ABC was America's Funniest Home Videos.  And yes I know it is totally infantile of me to get a chuckle out of this show, but it gets me every time I watch.  The hubby & I always say that there is only one thing funnier than kids falling down...old people falling down!  Hysterical!!

The Ugly

Do you even need a guess?  If you are like me (foolish & stupid I guess would be the proper terms) this is what you watched Sunday Night (actually that would be the official press conference, I watched some sort of drivel that NBC tried to pass off as a press conference).  The debacle that was The Golden Globe Awards, illustrated everything wrong with TV today.  After the show had to be canceled (due to actors refusing to cross the writer's picket lines), NBC decided to go on with an exclusive press conference announcement of the winners, no doubt in a last ditch effort to retain a small amount of viewers & keep an even more minute amount of their ad revenue.  Enter the Hollywood Foreign Press who say, "no way, you don't get exclusive rights to the press conference", so there is NBC holding their own press conference with Billy Bush & whats-her-name (oh ya, Nancy O'Dell) trying to stretch what turned out to be a 30 min press conference into the full hour they had slated. 

Okay, so look, it's not like The Golden Globes had a whole bunch of cred anyway.  Let's be honest, what did I tune in for year after year?  Dresses & drunks.  Most entertaining part, bar none, is watching those last few winners come up to the stage knowing they are just plowed.  What are they going to say?  Are they even going to be coherent at this point?  Pure TV bliss.  This press conference was trying to pass off this crazy awards show as legitimate.  Do you know how many members there are in the Hollywood Foreign Press?  About 85.  85???  Really, 85 people, who don't even have to write for a major foreign news source (heck they only have to write 4 times a year to qualify), decide who gets these awards.  And a little aside here, am I the only one who thinks that the actual award bears a striking resemblance to an honourable-mention award at a 7th grade science fair?!?  Contrast that with the some 6000 people who vote for the Oscars.  So when NBC tries to trot this press conference out like it is a major award, it seems disingenuous at best, & probably more just like a slap in the face.  If you can't deliver my dresses & drunks, then don't bother.  And no, Mary Hart doesn't count as either.  If you want a full run-down of the winners, Ali did a fabu job over at the Juice.

There is a bright shining light on the horizon though.  All of those mid-season replacements, have all of a sudden become the only thing new out there.  Lost, Medium, Battlestar Galactica, Law & Order, Jericho & (much to my chagrin) even Survivor & American Idol all return, some with shortened seasons (only 8 episodes of Lost...why oh why?!?).  New shows like Cashmere Mafia, Eli Stone, Welcome to the Captain & Lipstick Jungle, all look to fair better now that the competition is slim.  The only one of the new shows I have seen is Cashmere Mafia & it's awful.  If you want a show with every tired old stereotype of career-women, then this one is for you.  I find it insulting myself.  So, there are a few new things out there to peak your interest, you just may really have to search for them.

Better yet, solve the strike.  Someone.  Anyone.  Start by sitting down at a table together.  Sing Kumbaya or whatever you guys need to do to get in a peaceful mood & get it done.  Otherwise you may lose us to, egads, books or something like that.  Now where are my old copies of Jane Austen?