The Walking Dead

As the Halloween season has come and gone, only one thing made this holiday weekend more fantastic than an unlimited supply of Almond Joys and Mounds is The Walking Dead on AMC. AMC has graced us with top notch entertainment such as Mad Men, and Breaking Bad. The story centers around Richard Grimes who wakes up after being in a coma for an undisclosed amount of time only to find that the zombie apocalypse has struck Georgia and there is no one "alive" to be found. His home is completely deserted and he goes on a mission to find survivors and of course his family if they're still alive.
In the season premiere (90 minutes) it racked up 5.3 million viewers in the heavily coveted 18-49 year old demographic and I haven't read a bad review about it yet. I had heard of this show back over the summer when Norman Reedus signed on to it. I found out via Twitter. He will appear in the third episode and have a regular role. I pray to God he doesn't die anytime soon. I have a tendency to pick a favorite for every movie or series and he always ends up dying. Reedus' character is Daryl Dixon, a redneck with a pension for hunting with a crossbow. Needless to say, I am overwhelming excited for this.
The Walking Dead is based off of the graphic novel series by Robert Kirkman. He does an excellent job in the graphic novels illustrating the grit and rawness of the situation Grimes and his brood are put through. As far as book to screen adaptation, even the actors that worked on the set marveled at how the sets looked just like the graphic novels. For example, the downtown set of Atlanta, is distraught with wrecked cars, an "abandoned" army tank, and just flat out destruction. It was like looking at it straight out of the novel.
I have high hopes for this television series. In a world overtaken by spunky chorus kids, over-indulged adolescents, and pregnant teenagers, this seems to be something of good quality, and I can't wait to see all the gory details.

It Has Arrived...

http://www.mugglenet.com/trailer.php

AHHHH! Potter fans rejoice around the world as Warner Brothers has released the brand new Deathly Hallows trailer. For those fans who have read the books, the images used in the advertisement add life and body to the scenes they have such vividly pictured in their minds. This brings up an interesting point. Which two-part-movie-based-on-a-book will prevail in at the box office? More importantly, do box office numbers really deem a winner and a loser within the cinema? Critics?
From past experiences, people have relied on the weekly box office numbers to direct them to which film or critics to tell them who was on their game and who was not. James Cameron demolished it twice with Titanic and Avatar while Christopher Nolan annihilated it with The Dark Knight. These movies (with the exception of Avatar in my opinion) were deserving films. However, sometimes the box office is...skewed we'll call it.
Of course I am referencing Twilight. Why in the world their final book Breaking Dawn is being made into two parts is clearly obvious. It is to rival the Harry Potter film franchise. Here's the deal, the Harry Potter film franchise has spanned over 10 years. The first film was released in 2001, and the last part of the Deathly Hallows will be in 2011. That is ten years of groundbreaking CGI and A-list actors from British film and...oh yeah..the FIRST franchise to hire Robert Pattinson. Harry Potter also gained fame in a very trying time for the U.S. We had just gone through the aftershock of September 11th and I know for me, the books were a place of solace. It allowed me to fall deep into a magic place away from problems as minuscule or grand as they were. The characters were also relatable. I knew a brown frizzy haired know-it-all and a gangly funny kid (Hermione and Ron) and I knew plenty of kids from less than desirable living situations (of course nothing as abusive as near starvation like Harry was) so I felt like these were approachable. I do not however know a vampire, a werewolf, or a weird girl who is so painfully awkward yet has men enamored by her. I feel that the franchise will end just like Harry Potter but the latter franchise will transcend more age groups, social groups and time. Twilight will disappear after the movies have come out because it only appeals to a very specific audience.
So, as I predict both parts of both movies will do very well but I see Twilight coming out on top. Why? Because I just see the franchise getting a huge rally of support as well as those few people who mob the theatre dressed as Harry Potter characters to harass the Twilight fans. This is what they forget..since they bought the tickets, that money gets counted toward the box office totals...yeah...good plan.
Money in the end does kind of determine the popularity of its film however it does not determine its significance or its quality. Both films appeal to its audiences. Neither of the film's fans are any more or less intelligent of the fans than the other. Neither of the film's fans are better or worse. It is better just to live separately and peacefully than endlessly bashing the other no matter what the box office says.

(Go HP)

Don't Cross the Road if You Can't Get Out of the Kitchen

Okay, so I am quite aware that this is late but I was reminded I had never posted anything about my FANTASTIC St. Patrick's Day on my blog...only on every other device, facebook, twitter, etc.. So, here it goes.
This thing that I embarked on many moons ago when I was just a little girl would someday come back to me many years later. I was nine or ten when I read about this movie being the worst thing on the face of the planet. The movie reviews were right next to the Comics in my hometown newspaper so after reading the comics I would read about the new films released and reviewed. My eyes wandered from Peanuts all the way to an article about this movie about these two guys who basically killed people they thought were evil. In my mind I thought that there was nothing wring with this. There were words I didn't understand like vigilante or homosexual at the time but none the less I was enveloped in this review. They were Irish brothers that got rid of the scum off the streets of Boston. It sounded interesting to me despite the lackluster review it got and I glazed over the rating, of course, R. I had begged my parents to see Titanic when it came out in 1997 and they were nowhere near letting me see anything higher than a PG until I was actually old enough to go to a PG-13 movie. So, with that being said rated R was out of the question. My dad and I always liked to watch movies together and I had seen both Goodfellas and The Godfather I and II by the time I was ten. Did I understand them fully? No, but I understood what made them great films.
So, I folded the newspaper back up and forgot about it. I went on to junior high and there were these kids in my class that wore these long dark coats and some of them would go back and forth with dialog I knew they didn't come up with due to all the swearing and accents they put on. When I inquired to one of them what it was from they looked at my incredulously and replied, "It's from The Boondock Saints. You've seen it right?" I said no, and they instructed me to watch it online or try to find someone with the movie. I had befriended a girl at school who had unlimited access to her computer and television unlike myself and I went over her house and we watched it. I was in love.
What I was most in love with was Murphy McManus played by Norman Reedus. He was my favorite McManus. I relished the dialog, the unpredictability and sheer raw genius that Troy Duffy and composed and couldn't understand why so many people didn't like it. It's a WONDERFUL concept! Why wouldn't everyday people doing dirty work be a hit. Because like Murphy said, "Admit it, you've thought about it." He was intoxicating to me. I immediately tried to find more movies he was in which was believe me, not an easy feat for a young kid whose parents were strict with movie ratings. I actually ended up watching some over the Internet at school. Anyway, I had found a movie that i felt embraced my way of thinking that basic things like rape, theft, and killing are things every person should be able to stay away from no matter what their religion or race is.
As we skip ahead to fall of 2009 I see someone I am friends with on facebook posted a link to a Boondock Saints 2 trailer. It was like the past came back. I immediately wanted to find everything out about the movie. Who was in it, who was not in it, what was the plot, the premise, the new third saint (RIP Rocco) etc. I was hungry for it. However when it came out, no one would see it with me so I was forced to wait until it came out on DVD. It came out, I bought it on its release date and watched it...4 times. I was obsessed. That night I was online and in my adware there was an ad for a Boondock Saints party. I figured it was just a showing but when I clicked on it, I saw that there was going to be cast members there. I saw Norman's name and instantly paid for three tickets for me and some friends.
So, fast forward to St. Patrick's Day. I arrive at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston and I see their tour bus. Right next to the tour bus, there he is...Norman Reedus. I make my way to the front of the crowd, pretty bravely, as I am only five feet three inches. His producer then stops me and says, "Hey, pictures can wait we've got to get him inside." I looked at the manager dead in the eye and said, "Please." He moved aside and Norman turned, he had aged only a little and his crooked smile widened to a friendly and warm,
"Hi, how are you?"
"I'm well. How are you holding up in this?"
"Oh, you're the first person to ask that. I'm fine I guess haha could be worse."
"Would you mind taking a picture with me? I know your producer really wants you inside for a meal or something..."
"Oh. Oh ok, yeah sure. What's your name by the way?"
"Erin. I'm Erin."
"Holy crap, Erin out on St. Patty's Day, how appropriate. Haha"

As we take the picture my stupidity sets in and I said, "I really liked that movie you were in with uhm...uh...*snaps fingers trying to recall ALAN RICKMAN'S NAME* uh...Snape." Now, I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan and the fact that I forgot Rickman's name is mortifying to me to this day. He laughed and went, "Snape? OH! Alan Rickman, Dark Harbor, Oh I'm glad you liked it haha."
With that, we took the picture and my friends and I went inside after we waited in line. After getting our signed posters and meeting up with the bad guy in the film who was also Jason in Mean Girls, we headed back out. I saw Norman again and my friends said they wanted a picture. I of course wen over and reintroduced myself but he already knew.
"Erin! Hey, what did you think of inside, nice right?"
Yeah, it was great. Can't wait for Bob to get up there...my friends were wondering if you would pose with them?"
"Of course!"
I told my friends to say a quote often repeated in the movie (very explicit so I won't repeat it here) and he thought I had said, "ducky love" and then thought it might catch on. I actually wouldn't mind seeing if it would catch on and see if it got back to him...although I doubt he would remember.
He took the photo only after inserting another Parliament Light and hamming it up. After watching Bob Marley perform (aka Detective Greenly) we went back out to see if we could catch Rocco. Sure enough, we did. I yelled, "Rocco!" and he turned around arms open welcoming pictures and autographs. After meeting up with Rocco and seeing the bands perform, I went back outside and told my friends, I wanted to get rid of something on my bucket list if he would do it for me. I had a bucket list task that was "Kiss a celebrity". I figured, why not. I went up to him very timidly and said,"Ok, so this is going to sound a little peculiar but, (he puts his arm around my shoulder so he can hear and I nearly pass out) uhm, I have a bucket list-"
His eyes widen, "Oh my God," he then takes both my hands and interlaces his fingers, "Do you like..wanna have sex or something?" I laughed and said I had something different in mind. I said "the hardest thing I think that's on this list is to kiss a celebrity. I understand you've been so gracious to me taking pictures, signing my ticket in eyeliner, even acknowledging my existence so if you say no I completely understand." He stared at me and I thought I had really blown it. As I went to walk away and say, forget it, he passed off his drink, took me in the crook of his arm and kissed me in the middle of Commonwealth Ave. Afterwards he leaned in and asked how old I was. I said, "20." He cupped my face and said, "I hope everything on the bucket list happens for you."
I left that party walking on air. I recently turned my sister on to the movies and she has taken an interest in Sean Patrick Flanery's Connor McManus. I only hope if she ever gets to meet him that he is as much a gentleman as Norman was to me. He was nothing short of pure etiquette and a genuine sweetheart. I only wish I could have talked to him more about his art exhibits and short films. Until I (hopefully) run into him again I will have the best night of my life in my memories forever.

True love never dies...nor does it need to be remade!

It has come to my knowledge most unfortunately that the 1994 cult classic The Crow will be remade for a 2011 release. Now, if you have seen the movie from 1994 starring the late Brandon Lee you may be doing the same thing I am. I am skeptical that this will go anywhere or get anywhere as good reviews as the first one did. It would be bad juju, bad karma to redo this movie. It would be like someone saying, well yeah, Brandon Lee did a good job, died while he made the film I mean y'know God Bless him but I think we could step it up a notch.


Also, not gonna lie, the whole story of him dying on set just adds to the movie's occult character. It's creepy and interesting all at the same time. I feel if they were to remake it, it wouldn't be nearly as significant. The scene where he took the fatal shot is apparently in the actual movie by the way. And another thing, Brandon Lee was Bruce Lee's son so it was kind of a no brainer that he would be well equipped with martial arts training. Everyone and anyone nowadays, (sorry Mark Wahlberg/Matt Damon/Danie Craig) gun slinging heroes are a dime a dozen it seems. I enjoyed Lee's performance as a kid, yes, a kid, because he was doing something different, the fancy footwork and hand work with Tin Tin's knives were exquisite.


I can only hope this remake will provide a good actor and nothing different from the story line of the 1994 version. Two things especially must remain intact,


1. True Love Never Dies


2. It can't rain all the time


I can't tell you how often both of these come across in my life and I don't think they would hold the same significance if it were delivered by someone else or under a different film. It just worked. But remakes are common and there was most likely a promise of big money knocking at the studio's door. But should it be remade? Well we got awhile, but mull over it.

Just When I Thought My Headache Was Gone...

http://findyouredward.com/ is a website devoted to brainwashing young impressionable girls (and some women sadly) into thinking that their significant other or the person they're dating has to wait on them hand and foot. Are you kidding? I had to beg my prom date not to open the door to the car for me and all that stuff. I find it awkward. I would never expect a guy to do all that stuff for me. I mean, if he was trying to impress someone, like my grandmother, then go for it.
This reminds me of when I was on the T recently, and a very pretty girl got on and there were no seats left. I was already standing and the guy next to me leaned over to his friend and said, "Why didn't you give the hot chick your seat?" and he answered (quite cleverly might I add), "You wanted equal rights, you can stand." I couldn't have agreed more. If she were pregnant or I don't know bleeding profusely, then yeah give the lady your seat, but other than that she can stand.
Edward is a FICTIONAL character. FICTION. With a capital "F". It would be like people running around going, "Hold out for your perfect man, your Harry Potter or Ron Weasley!" Which, ironically enough would be an easier feat because although very fictional, their characteristics are much more, How do I say this...real. Ladies, I can guarantee you that you will not find a guy who would love nothing more than to watch you sleep. If you do, contact police, he's probably wanted somewhere. Neither will he ever be the of all and end all of aesthetics. No guy is perfect. Sorry. He can be perfect for you, don't get me wrong but somewhere someone will find fault with him. Namely, your mother. Also, he most likely won't be dead or a virgin. There are guys out there that wait until marriage. 5% of people are Americans are virgins when they marry. That's like, two and a half percent if we're going 50/50 here. Edward waited 100+ years to have sex? I think not. We are animals and have needs. No male I know ever wants to go that long and couldn't care less about whether they have found the love of their life or "sheep" or whatever it's referred to in the book. This brings me to another point. Ladies, the book refers to Bella, the shallow one dimensional female character as a lamb, a sheep, a follower. Do not be a follower. Like the books, like the movies but do not think that you have to do whatever your significant other or some housewife who read the books and thinks since her daughters are near dating age (which tell me, woman,when the Hell is that? Do they have an expiration date? I'll go into more detail in a minute) wants you to do. You are your own person.
Dating age. Oh please oh wise one, when is that? I am twenty years old and I honestly have had such a ridiculous schedule my entire life, I have never had time for men. Not boys, men. I've never had time for boys. It was never of importance for me to have a boyfriend or get one. I am comfortable in my single life. I love it, I can go out and talk to/dance with/make out with anyone I want with no strings attached. Will I consider settling down? Sure, eventually when I'm around 30 or 35 but right now? No. Wasn't Eddie Bella's first boyfriend or something too? You have a less than 15% chance of staying with your high school sweetheart or first love. I can be proved wrong but I'm just saying it's highly unlikely. And another thing, since we're talking about a FICTIONAL story, let's put this into previous centuries. You are living in the 1800's and tell your children the story of Cinderella. Can you imagine telling them to hold out for someone rich, handsome, full of status, and power? No. You tell them marry up from what you have now and provide better for your children which is actually something that may not be done by this generation and their children.
If you're telling you daughters to hold out for a man that treats them the way they want to be treated, kudos, good message. If you're telling them what he has to do like open every door, pull out every chair, refer to people as ma'am or sir, that's a tad ridiculous by today's standards. Just a tad. So, as long as you're not brainwashing people (any more than they have been by Twilight) I guess you're doing an okay job. So, yay to the parents telling their kids to wait for the one that treats them the way they want to be treated and boo to the parents who use chic lit to illustrate a point.

Faith Slightly Restored in MTV

In the light of MTV being absolutely trashy with programs like Jersey Shore and The Real World, it has slightly restored my faith with the new television show called, The Buried Life. It examines the lives of four young males (two of them are related to each other as brothers) and how they created a list of things to do before they died. They then set off in a purple tour bus (which I believe they fixed up themselves) to do their list of deeds. Here's the game changer. For every thing they do on their list, they help someone accomplish something that they have on their list of things to do before they die.


In the season premiere, Duncan, Ben, Dave, and Jonnie head off to California to crash a party at the Playboy Mansion. They discovered the theme of the party was to be a cross between Willy Wonka and Alice in Wonderland. Two of the men dressed up as oompa loompas and hid in a faux cake in a plan to pop out and just act like they're being paid to be there as a form of entertainment. The other two guys were to dress up as Crisitano Ronaldo and Cristiano's agent. They were denied entrance to the party because they were "over capacity". Although only half of the guys made it into the party, they certainly didn't go half way on their deal.


While scoping out the layout of the neighborhood the mansion is located in, they came across a man who taught fifth grade for a few years and felt that his class could really use a computer. A computer is something most Americans have in their home or schools and take for granted.


The boys met the challenge and did a street performance to nineties hip hop and did beat boy dancing while playing guitar. One of them even sold a lady the clothes off of his back for twenty dollars. (She was going to a nineties rap party) He gave her everything but his underwear and sure enough they showed up at the elementary school with a brand new mac.


It is such a nice change as a woman who (no offense) has lost a little hope in men in the twenties age bracket. They set out and actually made a good example for people. While at the elementary school they had each of the kids write down what their biggest dream was. This if anything allowed my friends and I to think about what we wanted to in our short life. Personally, yes, I have a "bucket list". If these kids can get into the Fort Knox of carnal pleasures then, I should be able to get to Europe at some point in my life. If these guys can play basketball with Barack Obama, I may have a shot at seeing a UNC vs. Duke game at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. I these kids can do the seemingly impossible or difficult, then we should all try and pursue our dreams or try to make a positive impact on the world.


A couple people when asked what they wanted to do before they died gave examples of humanitarian efforts. One man said he wanted to give a pair of shoes to everyone in America who didn't have a pair. He wanted to be "the sole of America". One man simply said, "I want to make a difference." It's more shows like this that America needs. Not to be taken personally, but my generation/ age group doesn't really care about Home Makeover or any of the shows where deserving people get what they want or get what they need. MTV found the formula of putting four attractive and genuine males who are doing good things for others in exchange for full filling lifelong dreams. Although a little bit shallow, it still made an impact on my friends and I. I can only hope MTV finds more shows like this and I can only pray that Jonnie, Dave, Ben, and Duncan realize in just one short half an hour, my friends are thinking more about their dreams than ever before.

How Women Are Ultimatley Vicious

The red carpet is a place where people (mostly women and the occasional peacocking male) show off their best outfits and what they exactly pay (or fire) their stylists for. While the red carpet is a great place to see people's outfit choices and jewelery and grossly over expensive accessories, it is a bit overkill making it three hours long. why in the world do I need to contemplate why someone chose those shoes with that dress for three hours? Why do I need to see the same (ok, not the same but they all look the same) tuxedo march down a carpet. Why? Three hours of gaudy although sometimes breath taking dresses and gowns wears on me. It does not wear on me because I find it annoying to see the same emaciated faces gracing the ballroom. It's because we as women cannot be happy for someone's success. God forbid someone is dressed up pretty for an event. I've heard so far at least eight different instances where the people I'm viewing the awards with have openly proclaimed their "hate" for a person. How can you hate someone? And for their outfit choice? Why? and more importantly, how?
Hilary Swank has been deemed by some people looking like a man or a horse. If people think Hilary Swank is ugly what hope does anyone else have? She's positively breath taking. She was impeccable in Million Dollar Baby and Freedom Writers. The Office even went as far as comparing who thought she was gorgeous. Oscar took the initiative to take her face and show how symmetrical it was. Hands down, no one should judge anyone's beauty. Male or female, no one has the upper hand on anyone in the world of beauty and anatomical aesthetics. My friend and I talked about how if people, female people, the people who are supposed to empower us and make us feel good about ourselves are this harsh on one of the most beautiful people to ever exist, we have no hope.

Merryl Streep is wonderful actress. She has excelled in the roles of a single working mother who finds solace in the violin and bringing music to the schools of inner city Harlem in Music of the Heart, she gave a body to one of the most popular Jane Austen characters in Persuasions, and of course no one can forget the seething, biting and caustic magazine editor in The Devil Wears Prada, and she struck fear into the hearts of anyone who attended parochial school in the sixties in Doubt parallel to Amy Adams, she breathed new life into an American icon Julia Child in Julie & Julia alongside Amy Adams also. Recently, she appeared next to Alec Baldwin in It's Complicated. Even if it was a pretty slow film, she did the best she could with the script and gave life to a very common real life role of many women who find themselves in complicated positions with their husbands or recently divorced husbands. You as a person may not think deserves an award for whatever particular reason but she has indeed earned her right to at least attend the award shows. Like it or not she can impersonate any regional diction; as Roberta Guaspari she created the perfect flat tone of someone who moved along with her Navy husband to fort after fort. In Doubt, she had a New York accent that made my father who was born and raised in the south Bronx shudder at the unfortunate memories he had of his private all boys school. Merryl Streep like it or not has done an exceptional job giving life to characters for many, many, years and there's nothing complicated about that.

So, in short, people can have their opinions. It is most definitely a free country. However, to feel as though someone doesn't deserve something someone has worked so hard for and that they don't deserve something based on their beauty, is simply, spiteful. Ladies, retract your claws, and proceed with caution because it won't be long until we're all on life's red carpet. Make sure your words are soft and sweet because you may have to eat them later.