Michael Scofield had to spend months studying and researching every single thing between a screw he can use as an Allen wrench to D.B. Cooper, had to tattoo about 50 percent of his body with things as vital as structural plans of Fox River Penitentiary to a thanks-for-tattooing-the-obvious "Christ in a Rose" (alluding to Christina Rose, his mom's and boat's names... Does one really need a tattoo to remember a huge boat christened with your mom's name?) Anyhoo... He also mastered folding paper cranes. He did this all to escape from one prison... and eventually end up in another one.

(Post-Spoiler Alert)

My mode of escape is far less taxing, not to mention friendlier (and non-permanent) to the skin. These are all I need...



After catching an inch thick layer of dust on my movie backlog shelf, I finally got to see Pan's Labyrinth. It is, visually, a very beautiful film. It shows the whimsical world of Princess Moanna filled with faeries and magical chalk... but also, doesn't shy away from showing the terrifying world of fascist Spain filled with death, torture and a sliced mouth.


I always enjoy a well made film with not so well known actors. The absence of top-billed celebrities almost always lets the story and the craft stand out. A delight... as opposed to a mental montage of previous astounding roles flashing through one's head while watching a well known actor crash and burn, one suffers through in most well publicized films.


There is much to be said about fantasy literature... and conversely fantasy films. The transient escape they offer, no matter how bizarre to students of cynicism, is priceless.

Legendary authors like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis wrote escapist literature to the nth degree. Although probably not intentional, it seems they designed alternate realities to the Second World War. The fantasy worlds may have elves, dwarves, centaurs and a magical lamp post... but the terrors of war and death are real and wholly prevalent, but with a inkling that in the end, goodness will prevail.


Both put the fate of the world in the hands of seemingly atypical characters. Atypical in the sense that they are not a ripped Hercules or an Excalibur wielding King Arthur. Hobbits and children are the primary heroes in these tales... an empowering idea that anyone with a courageous heart can be epic worthy. They (as said poignantly by Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire) rely on the kindness of strangers. A faun with a red scarf, an emaciated hobbit with multiple personalites, talking beavers, talking trees... And they are under the guidance of someone "enlightened" in the Dalai Lama sense of the word... a white wizard and a lion with a soothing voice.


They wage war against the most Goliath-esque of enemies with legions of ferocious pawns. Sauron with his Nazgul, orcs and Uruk-hai... Jadis with her wolves, dwarves and minotaurs.

Contemporary works follow a similar trend. J.K. Rowling, especially so in her final books, had less than subtle metaphors about terrorism guised as deatheaters and dementors.


Even the Wachowski brother's Matrix Trilogy, has the elements of unlikely heroes and impossible enemies (not to mention insanely chic eyewear)


Escapism is underrated. Many brush it off as works of whimsy made by wishful authors or brothers on pot. Attempts at belittling reality. To the contrary, I believe these books and films capture the essence of the times they were made more than history books and CNN specials. The characters are ironically made more relateable (yes, even with hobbit feet and wands), the emotions on war more authentic. (yes, even with the dramatic speeches before engaging in battle) It captures the pre-war anxiety, the terrors of war, and the post-war oxymoron of, for lack of a better term, a bitter sweet ending.

(Ok, even I puked a little in my mouth with all this sentimentality)

Tolkien said it best...
"Escapism (has) an element of emancipation in its attempt to figure a different reality"



It's kinda like bad news broken gently during bedtime.












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Labels: blah (3x), boo-freakin-hoo, Bookworms Anonymous, movies

Ok, so last Monday night, I got smashed... A fitting end to the long vacation. I had one margarita too many... and let me just say drinking a margarita after a Bora (a vodka-rum based drink) isn't a fabulous idea. Of course it was all good while I was still vertical and laughing like a hyena but once you go horizontal... all hell breaks loose (and swirls around like a kaleidoscope too). Let me just say that sometime around 2 am in the morning I was face to face with my regurgitated dinner... yum...

Anyways... too much information...


A Movie Meme
from the newly laptopped snglguy...
(I wish all memes were about movies *sigh*)

1. Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times.
I don't really keep count but I've seen the following movies multiple times:
Before Sunrise (1995) - Celine and Jesse. This is one of my all time faves. I asked a friend of mine to watch it and her initial reaction after was... "They sure talked alot". I can't even begin to tell you how much I love it.
Meet Joe Black (1998) - This is one lone movie, but... Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt, Claire Forlani, Marcia Gaye Harden, the actor that plays the Bluth patriarch in Arrested Development... what's not to like eh? Oh, there's also all the long conversationless scenes, the topic of death and peanut butter!
The Truth About Cats and Dogs (1996) - A romantic comedy with the statuesque Uma Thurman, the fabulous Janeane Garofalo and the hot Ben Chaplin. The Premise: "If you were stranded in the Biosphere, who would you take? Time Magazine's Woman of the Year or Playboy's Playmate of the Year?".
The Lord of the Rings (2001 - 2003) - Yes, all three. And the last marathon of it I did was a director's cut which extended far longer than the cinematic releases. It showed many deleted scenes. What I'd give to sound like Cate Blanchett as Galadriel.
There are more, but this is only the first question... hahaha


2. Name a movie that you’ve seen multiple times in the theater.
I don't really go, as snglguy mentioned, Titanic (noun, watching a movie a million times in the cinema) for any movie (especially the blasphemy that is Titanic). Makes me wish there was a theater here in Baguio that shows matinees of movie classics...


3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie.
Actors:
a. Anthony Hopkins
b. Al Pacino
c. Giovanni Ribisi
d. Jude Law (ok, eye cand but he's a terrific actor as well with terrific eyes and mouth and...)
e. Kevin Spacey

Actresses:
a. Cate Blanchett
b. Christina Ricci
c. Annette Bening
d. Meryl Streep
e. Emma Thompson
f. Parker Posey

Directors:
a. Richard Linklater
b. Woody Allen
c. Quentin Tarantino
d. Martin Scorsese


4. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie.
Manny Pacquiao? ahhh... actor as in film, I get it. hmmm... I'm stumped.


5. Name a movie that you can and do quote from.
I don't really quote from movies in everyday conversation, it's just cheesy... Imagine:

Them: Good Morning!
Me: I love the smell of napalm in the morning. (Apocalypse Now)
Them: Huh? Na-what?
Me: You talking to me? (Taxi Driver)
Them: Yeah I am, why do you sound like a weird shrieky Robert de Niro?
Me: You had me at hello, my preciousss. (Jerry Maguire, LOTR)
Them: What is wrong with you? Who are you?
Me: Bond. James Bond. (duh...)
Them: What the fuck are you on?
Me: Watch your words Persian (300)
Them: Why you little shit. I'm outta here..
Me: Here's lookin' at you kid... (Gone With the Wind) (Errata: Should be Casablanca... Tnx snglguy... hehehe)
Them: Yeah, yeah... get a life.

6. Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs.
Let's see. I know all of the chirpy, alpy, "high on the hill is a lonely goatherd" songs of The Sound of Music; all the rock-flavored "no day but today" songs of Rent; some of the eerie, orchestral "that's all I ask of you" music of The Phantom of the Opera, and all the music from Disney films between The Little Mermaid to Pocahontas from my childhood. I wouldn't be caught dead singing any of these songs... or any song for that matter. My singing voice can bring bloody tears to your eyes, literally.


7. Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with.
You know that "Say a Little Prayer" thing they did for My Bestfriend's Wedding? Not that... You know that "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" montage they did in Zoolander? Not that either. I don't sing in public. Thank you.


8. Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see.
I highly rcommend everyone to see Snakes on a Plane, Crossroads, Battlefield Earth, The Producers and Kazaam. Oh the humanity! They are the worst excuses for films I have ever had the misfortune to see. I don't wanna be the only one scarred for life!!!


9. Name a movie that you own.
Although I do own a lot of marked down original VCDs and DVDs, a greater percentage of the movies I "own" are debatable. Thanks to our industrious DVD Jack Sparrows.


10. Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops.
Lately, there's Jennifer Hudson for all the obvious reasons (which neither Madonna, Kelly Clarkson or Britney Spears succeeded in)


11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what?
Honey, If I see a drive-in theater in the Philippines, I'll call you okey?


12. Ever made out inside a theater?
I don't kiss and tell. (making a key locking motion over my mouth and throwing the key)


13. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven’t yet gotten around to it.
On my movie back log:
The Last King of Scotland,
Pan's Labrinth,
The Good German,
Notes on a Scandal


14. Ever walked out of a movie?
Hmmm... how dramatic. Not really... I never walk IN one I don't like to see.


15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.
Aside from singing, crying is another thing I don't do in public. Ok, ok... so I cried when Bambi's mother got shot by the hunter. I need to call my psychologist now.


16. What’s the last movie you saw in the theater?
Now that I think about it, it's been ageees ago! 'Twas The Prestige.


17. What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie?
Indies.


18. What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
Maria and the Golden Bibe. Hahahahaha! Hahahahahah! In my defense, I was like 6 years old or something with my nanny (A die hard Maricel Soriano fan). I remember eating red Chippy and drinking Zesto and really enjoying that movie, Pinoy slapstick in all its glory.


19. What movie do you wish you had never seen?
See: question #8


20. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
I have a high tolerance to weirdness. But some films I've enjoyed that probably enters the popular notion of "weird" include:
Dogma - Jay and Silent Bob save the day... and Alanis is God.
Evolution - the longest ad in history! hehehe... Head and Shoulders anyone?
A Scanner Darkly - Keanu Reeves looks hot as a toon.
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - I was totally rooting for Jean-Baptiste to complete his perfume.
Punch Drunk Love - Where can I buy a harmonium?


21. What is the scariest movie you’ve seen?
See: question #8


22. What is the funniest movie you’ve seen?
Fahrenheit 9-11. Not funny "ha-ha"... but more of a "the world is playing a practical joke on you" funny.


So I am tagging a couple of people to do the meme:
Hmmmm... I am pretty curious how Ann and Tin-tin will say about this meme. hehe



I have been meaning to post this meme for some time now... and what better time to do it than right now eh? I first heard of these 10 questions from James Lipton's "Inside the Actor's Studio", It's a talk show where Mr. Lipton interviews an actor infront of an acting class. Will Ferrell does a hilarious kick-ass impersonation of Lipton.


I used to see the show regularly on a Japanese channel in the forgotten 50's section of local cable, but that channel is gone now. I think. These 10 questions originally came from a French series, "Bouillon de Culture" which was hosted by Bernard Pivot.

Basically, just answer the questions. hehehe

"Inside the Actor's Studio" Meme

1. What is your favorite word?
plush

2. What is your least favorite word?
diarrhea

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
truth

4. What turns you off?
fakeness

5. What is your favorite curse word?
fuck

6. What sound or noise do you love?
electric guitars

7. What sound or noise do you hate?
blackboard scratch

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
marine biologist

9. What profession would you not like to do?
long distance bus driver

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
Aloha


Simple eh? Harder than it seems. Ok, so I did this meme as a sort of retribution, hahaha. I'm tagging snglguy. hahaha








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Labels: blah (3x), memes, movies

A.K.A. Stale blog entries that never were because I was underneath a shitload of work.

1. One "L", two "P"s and absolutely no "A"s (12 Mar 07)
So Rob and Amber, one of the best Amazing Racers ever (and a personal fave), got booted because they didn't know how to spell my dear country. And it didn't help at all that Mirna and Shmirna beat them for second to the last place. The irony is palpable. I'd laugh if it wasn't too painful.

2. I Need a Hiro (14 Mar 07)
The telecast of Heroes on Starworld is "Not Available in the Philippines" because RPN bought the rights as I've gathered from Talamasca. I've been just a day, a couple max, behind overseas telecast of the show up until the 18th episode. The 19th episode is as elusive as Claude and as inaccessible as Wireless. It wasn't after a couple of corrupt downloads and a lot (ok some) internet digging that I found out the reason there was no 19th episode on the internet black market because it hasn't even been aired yet. I have no idea why that is so, but the 19th friggin episode will air on April 23, the Independence Day of Israel (Hana Gittelman correlation anyone?)... also Shirley Temple's birth and Miguel Cervantes' death.

Spoiler Alert



3. A Rush of Blood to the Head (14 Mar 07)
I can't even begin to tell you how psyched I am after I heard Coldplay's fourth album is on the way. Guy Berryman told in an interview, the new album is gonna be edgier. I'm tingling with anticipation.

4. Photoless (17 Mar 07)
So I've nearly exceeded my Photobucket bandwidth according to an e-mail titled "Whoops". I didn't know I use up close to 10 GB of bandwidth a month. I don't even know what bandwidth is. It's such an odd word. Bandarea = bandwidth x bandlength. That is assuming band is a rectangle. Duh.

5. Who knew Al Gore was Funny (18 Mar 07)
I watched "An Inconvenient Truth". Aside from this part's title, I also realized I had faulty intel on Global Warming. It's one of those terms you pass around all too often but don't really understand (well me, at least) similar to other terms like bandwidth, the geometric oblong and of course, pneumono­ultra­micro­scopic­silico­volcano­coniosis, a word we can't live without in everyday conversation. (i.e. Manong! Ipacheck nyo po tambutso nyo! Parang na-pneumono­ultra­micro­scopic­silico­volcano­coniosis ako!) I am so far from what I was blogging about. Anyways... Yes , like Howling, the documentary scared the crap out of me... Imagine living in an actual Waterworld (Costner optional) without Polar Bears and Happy Feet... Scary! I don't think any of us are too dense to realize that Mother Nature has gone psycho, and we are the pesky critters that cause hey psychosis.
The cheesy soliloquys, the quasi-political agenda and inconvenience aside, this documentary was enlightening. You should watch it if you haven't yet.

6. I wonder what the Statistics say... (19 Mar 07)
About the Jeopardy three way tie. The probability is 1 in 25 million. Sheesh!

I was tagged with a meme by Tin-Tin ...one I am still working on. hehehe...

Labels: blah (3x), idiot box, movies

So I missed my thirteenth post, again.

Anyways... I finally got to see Little Miss Sunshine last week. I haven't heard of the film pre-oscar nomination, and in my opinion, that's one of the good things about the Academy Awards, exposure for relatively unknown independent films. The film wasn't really as phenomenal as The Full Monty, yet another independent film that became famous post-Best Picture oscar nomination, but it was a relatively interesting film.

• Like The Full Monty, they did the whole dancing thing at the end but it didn't end in a full monty.
• I love combies (which they called a bus?). Very hippie-chic. And who knew they also did the push the car to jumpstart it maneuver in the first world. An eye-opener.
• I love the underrated Toni Collette. I first fell in love with her acting in Cosi (1996), where she played a mentally ill patient/ cast mate of a production of a Mozart opera that went successfully awry. I absolutely adore her singing "Stand by Me".
• Who knew Steve Carrell is attractive when he underacts.
• This is the first film, I've seen, that showed a Nietzche cameo.
• Although Alan Arkin was great as the blunt granddad/ non-breathing trunk baggage, I truly found, even if I hate to admit it, that Eddie Murphy deserved the Best Supporting Actor trophy more. For the first time in his long movie career, I found Murphy believable as opposed to his other roles: The nutty professor who talks to animals, and the talking Donkey of Shrek.
• Those other Little Miss Sunshine contestants looked like brides of Chucky.
  

Abigail Dreslin was infectious and her supporting actress nomination was well deserved. I just hope that unlike most actors/ actresses nominated at her age, her career wouldn't die a natural death. She has potential.

She inspired my list for the month...


13 Former Child Stars
Tagline: "The sensation is like a 10-year high school reunion."

From a wide-eyed gradeschool student, to the mole with an unflattering Cindy Crawford "moley, moley, mole". The Wonder Years was a big show when I was a kid, and I always get reminded of it when I hear the Joe Cocker version of the Lennon-McCartney written and Ringo Starr sung "With a Little Help from my Friends". What I like about Fred Savage is his willingness to make fun of himself, he ain't cute anymore, but he is still very recognizable... (one of the banes of being a former child star, I guess)


From Charlie the Firestarter to one of Charlie's Angels. Ok, so Drew Barrymore's more popular movie as a kid was E.T. (as seen on the "then" shot) but i just couldn't resist the Charlie correlation. Who doesn't like Drew? Edgy, down-to-earth, foxy and vulnerable. My fave Drew movies include: Mad Love (1995), The Wedding Singer (1998), and Donnie Darko (2001, just a supporting role)... oh and yes, her character's brutal death in the first segment of Scream was ingenious! She was only seen for a few minutes in the movie, but that phone ring/ popcorn/ slasher scene became the mental summary of all Scream movies.


From being the most famous child star to a custody battle, doobie possession, a Michael Jackson case testimony, and a wedding/ divorce. Considering what Macaulay Culkin has been through, He is as normal as humanly possible. I think he's hot, in a Billy Chenowith kind've way. I like 'em dark and twisty.


From a head-turning girl, to a 48 year old head turner. First of all, I am gonna admit I'm a wuss. I couldn't bring myself to use a "possessed" image of Linda Blair in the "then" shot. Watching The Exorcist was no small feat for a child of 14. I wonder if people who meet her ever ask her to do a 360 degree owlish head turn.


From "I see dead people" to "I see a dead career". A victim of the premature oscar nomination. Sure Haley Joel Osment was good in The Sixth Sense and cute as Forrest Gump Jr. and the thing with creating a career dominated by goody two shoed roles is that the roles after multiple DUI charges would become slim pickings. Plus, he didn't age gracefully... this once relatively cute ghost whisperer just looks odd now.


From boy to boy wonder. Just like The Harry Potter movies, Daniel Radcliffe becomes less GP as the sequel number increases. And unlike number 5, he aged quite gracefully. I am envious of Radcliffe because Gary Oldman, THE Gary Oldman taught him how to play the bass guitar.


From Whale Rider to knocked-up donkey rider. Keisha Castle Hughes was phenomenal in her Yentl-ish role as Paikea Apirana in The Whale Rider, and became the youngest actress ever nominated for the Academy Best Actress Award. Her last film, which I haven't seen, was The Nativity Story. New Zealand's got talent, Anna Paquin (Rogue of the X-men movies), also a child star from the country, won Best Supporting Actress for The Piano when she was 11 years old.


From Addams to Eve-ryone's favorite versatile actress, well mine at least. I can honestly say, I love and will love any movie Christina Ricci is in. From her early movies like Mermaids and Now & Then (Even Casper), to the more mature Prozac Nation, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Buffalo 66, Anything Else, Pumpkin, Monster, etc. etc. etc. Even her TV credits for Ally Mcbeal and her guest appearance in Grey's Anatomy were phenomenal.


From then to then. There isn't much physical change if you study closely. Still the same Mr. Burns-ish body frame and the same pre-puberty look. Neil Patrick Harris was the first blogger I've ever known. Well, the Sex and the City-ish journal he kept in Doogie Howser, MD is close enough to a blog. His comedic roles in film and TV are hilarious. He knows he's white, he knows he's puny and he makes the most out of it in his roles and choice of roles. He came out of the closet in 2006.


From Full House to a pair of drama queens. What the Olsen Twins lack in acting ability, they make up for in marketing skills. They are rich. But if you wanna see what growing up in the public eye results in, I give you exhibit 10.


From Hocus Pocus to an American Beauty. Thora Birch is an amazing actress who acted alongside #9 in Purple People Eater and #8 in Now and Then. I've just read from a fairly unreliable source (Wikipedia) that both her parents were porn stars and that she was named after the norse god of thunder... well duh, just add the "a".


From The Never Ending Story to a bitter end. Jonathan Brandis was my image of Bastian Bux. When I was young(er), I was mesmerized by Fantasia (not the American Idol), by the Childlike Empress, even by Xayida, but most especially by Falkor the luckdragon. Brandis passed away in 2003 due to injuries from a suicide attempt.


From Vicki to where is she? Tiffany Brissette played Vicki Lawson, a robot/ daughter in Small Wonder, a huge sitcom in the late 80's. Aside from the obvious instances of illegal child abuse (physical labor, sleeping upright in a closet) I loved this show. It had the look and feel of a typical American sitcom at the time: white picket fences, background laughter, irritating neighbors... Ms. Brissette was last seen singing on the 700 club. Pat Robertson scares the bejezuz out of me.


Abigail, If you happen to stumble on my blog (As if!). Learn from these former child stars. Stay away from Xanax, unflattering moles, stage parents, the 700 club, drunk driving and Paris Hilton.

Labels: area 13, idiot box, movies

Been busy as a frantic, multi-tasking bee. It's been more than a week since my last entry... my urge to post is a lot like the need (yes, need) to smoke after watching a Coldplay concert (or at least how I'd imagine the magnitude of the urge would be) My latest tenant came and went without a welcome post (Bad lessor!) and reply to comments and return visits are way overdue.

I wonder why all our clients at the office are adamant to build something at the beginning of the year. Anyways, Here's a hint of the other thing that's keeping me real busy (the good kind of busy)


I'll advertise talk more about it when we've had the chance to finish the website.

Me likey the view from the place we are renting for the business we're putting up. This is Session Road at night. I love this sloping stretch of asphalt and concrete. It's been a witness to my (and many other Baguio residents') life. Nothing can clear your head better than a hike stroll up this 30 degree (give or take) road.


Me likey the ink flow system we purchased for the business. It does make the printer look like it's hooked to an IV but you can print to your heart's content (Replace dextrose or your choice of intravenous sedatives with black, cyan, magenta and yellow ink)


Me likey the sudoku game I downloaded for my Palm. No more No. 2 Mongol pencils with treacherous red erasers.


Me likey my second batch of bootleg DVDs for my traditional oscar marathon for the year. My friendly neighborhood pirates finally have a copy of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. When I asked for this movie before, I was constantly given a quizzical look or referred to a stall with nauseous Chanel and Bvlgari imitations (don't even ask me how they reacted when I wanted to buy a copy of Borat!)









Also on my movie backlog are The Queen and Dreamgirls. I loved Helen Mirren in Calendar Girls but does anyone else think she looks like Sir Ian Mckellen in drag in the movie poster? In Dreamgirls, I wanna see why the HFPA gave Jennifer Hudson the golden globe over Cate Blanchett! I did like Ms. Hudson in American Idol (especially when she wore that pink dress) but I adore worship Galadriel. Speaking of AI, have you seen the latest batch of William Hungs?

I only wonder when I'll have the free time to watch them...

And finally, Me likey the holiday postcard the lovable che sent me. With e-mails, instant messaging and text messaging, I can't remember the last time I received something through snail mail. I was more than ecstatic when I found it mixed with the bills. It's a postcard of Schloss Lustheim. The butter yellow walls remind me a lot of the Sans Soucci castle in Potsdam (and my near "fall" into one of its fountains) Danke Che! Me lovey!!!

Labels: blah (3x), me likey, movies

Two Smacks

I have been an occasional lurking gawker at Italk2much. It is like the New York Times Book Review, but with the utmost ruthlessness and an OD of expletives. When I discovered the site while I was random bloghopping about a month ago, I instantly submitted my site. I belong to a subgeneration of closet people-pleasers... You know, the type that takes what other people say about you more seriously than you ought to but you keep a guise of apathy and a defensive "i-know-you-are-but-what-am-I-?" look in your eyes. Submitting my blog was a personal test of some sort, If I read the review I could either laugh and feel elated or laugh and feel irate. I did the former. It wasn't a rave but it was gratifying to know you're not THAT sucky. hehehe... My IT2M review here by Sassy Sadie.


One 44-Peso book
Who does second-hand bookshopping at 830 on a Saturday Night? I was thinking about that as I scanned the titles of upright books on the twelve foot bookshelves in one of the literary thrift shops I frequent. Tom Clancy... pass. John Grisham... pass. Sidney Sheldon... *barf*. The stack of unfamiliar authors not on the shelves proved more interesting for me. I found a pop-art book cover of Metropolitan Life by Fran Lebowitz. I have no idea who she is and the 1978 copyright probably explains why. The pages are yellowish but the parts I scanned are as new as newborn spring chickens. At 44 pesos, it was a steal.


It is fairly easy reading. Ms Lebowitz has developed a sort of "lazy writing" I haven't seen before. I am reading the book very lackadaisically holding a cigarette between a couple of fingers and imagining a martini glass held by my other two fingers and opposable thumb. Here are some of the chapter titles: Breeding Will Tell: A Family Treatment, Better Read Than Dead: A Revised Opinion, Good Weather and its Propensity to Frequent Better Neighborhoods, and The Primary Cause of Heterosexuality Among Males in Urban Areas: Yet Another Crackpot Theory.


One Scarlet Johansson, Two Christian Bales and Several Hugh Jackmans
Ely, Tine and I saw The Prestige last Saturday Night, the bookshopping was my foreplay. The movie is basically about the rivalry between two young illusionists who are both obsessed and extremely vindictive (Ooh... Batman versus Wolverine) It has numerous twists further concealed by sometimes incomprehensible British accented dialogue and by flashbacks within flashbacks. I hadn't spent that much time figuring out the twists since The Matrix. But, plots with doppelgangers, hidden twins and cloning is cheating. Halfway through the mvie, I still hadn't seen Ms. Johansson that I could have sworn the actress playing Sarah, Borden's wife was also Scarlet with prosthetics. IMDB put an end to that theory.


I liked the movie primarily because of the four main cast members, the Vargas Girls outfits, minor roles done by David Bowie and Smeagol, and engaging my often bored mind from movies trying to conceal obvious twists. Twists have stopped being interesting since O. Henry. If you're gonna attempt one, make it so effective three friends are left in a deserted cinema talking about how's and why's.




Oh, and here's an addendum to my previous post:

Thing
One of the favorite characters in the Addams' Family. I think mainly because he doesn't speak and he doesn't have a face/legs/body. Without him, the Addams household would fall to pieces, sure Lurch is omnipresent... but little old agile Thing always does the heavy lifting. Thanks howling for my thirteenth Faceless Character and everyone who suggested characters. I always have a blast with my 13th posts.

Labels: bloghopping, Bookworms Anonymous, me likey, movies

All Friday night well into Saturday morning, I was deeply engrossed in the twisted memoir of Augusten Burroughs. I was powerless to put the book down. From burlap lined hallways to masturbatoriums, from electroshock therapy machines to Queen Helene Cholesterol, from Bible dips to fortune telling with turds, from eating McNuggets to eating candle wax, from psychotic parents to sociopathic offspring... This is a pageturner.

I owe the discovery of Running with Scissors mainly to book lover extraordinaire, Kat. (Thanks, I had such a twistedly fabulous time reading it!)

A quote from Jules Renard in the first pages of the book sums it all up... "Look for the ridiculous in everything and you will find it." Although the "names and other identifying characteristics" of the people described in the book have been changed, this is an Augusten Burroughs autobiography... dark, twisty and uber hilarious.

Most of the stories he confides here border on preposterous. In Toilet Bowl Readings, one of my favorite chapters... Dr. Finch, his mother's beyond peculiar psychiatrist, discovers divination with feces. The chapter begins with Augusten and two of the Finch daughters, Natalie and Hope, gathered around a toilet bowl examining Dr. Finch's floating turd. The doctor was astounded by the way the tip of his turd was above water and pointing upwards (I was gagging, but I couldn't divert my eyes away from the pages) The Finches were undergoing some financial problems, so the doctor instantly took this as a "sign from God" that things will be turning around. The grossest part yet was Hope, as ordered by her dad, scooping the coiled feces with a spatula and setting it out in the front yard to dry. (hahaha) And they do not stop there... they continue to scoop daily #2's and set it on the front yard picnic table as a chronicle of "messages from heaven". Dr. Finch kept a journal (with turd illustrations) to grasp the "bigger picture". Things did change for the better... well relatively, Hope won a frozen turkey from a radio station contest and the doctor received $1000.00 from an insurance company. This divination with feces episode of the Finches finally ended when the doctor became constipated. He lost his "gift" after that. The story is sooo ludicrous, that it HAS to be true.


The cover of the book I bought had a "Now a Major Motion Picture" tag on it. My curiosity made me click on IMDB, one of my really used bookmarks, in an instant.

• Ryan Murphy directed and wrote the screenplay of the movie. I have no idea who he was, as it turns out, he is the director of the Nip/Tuck series. I haven't seen an episode of that show yet (aside from the opening sequence with the twitching pinky)
• Augusten will be played by an unknown (for me at least) young actor named Joseph Cross who had numerous TV roles.

Main cast with corresponding previous borderline psychotic roles:

• Joseph Fiennes as Neil Bookman (Augusten's lover) His was the first name that caught my eye. What can I say, those Fiennes brothers sure are fine. He repeatedly bashed a guy's head using a phone booth door in Killing Me Softly.
• Annette Bening as Deirdre Burroughs (Augusten's mom) She was amazing Carolyn in American Beauty. I absolutely adore her in that dining room scene... "Then, I must be psychotic then! What is this? Let's bring out the laugh-meter and see how loud it gets!" Remember that scene in the take-out window? "Smile! You're at Smiley's!"
• Evan Rachel Wood as Natalie Finch (Augusten's bestfriend) I was actually thinking about her in that character while I read the book, especially so because of her role in Thirteen. Although, she does fit the role talent-wise, Natalie has issues with her weight, I dunno how they'll translate that into the movie.
  
• Brian Cox as Dr. Finch. For me, he is one of those old actors you see everywhere and they are really good but you can't seem to remember their names (like that actor who played Saruman as opposed to Sir Ian Mckellen). He was in Troy, the 25th hour, Adaptation and the Bourne movies.
• Alec Baldwin as Norman Burroughs (Augusten's Dad) The first crazy role of his I could think of is that chipper person he plays in FRIENDS (I would like to take a mental picture! Click!) Norman was often times just referred to in the book and has dialogue only when he and Deirdre fight, and he is drunk everytime he speaks.
• Gwyneth Paltrow as Hope Finch (Natalie's older sister) I loved Gwyneth as Margot in The Royal Tenenbaums. That mink jacket was to die for.
  
• Honorable Mention: Patrick Wilson as Michael Shephard. I can't for the life of me remember this character in the book! But I do remember Patrick Wilson in Angels in America.

There is an extreme amount of talent in this cast. However, books turned movies rarely live up to their expectations. I guess it's time for a bible dip ala Hope Finch. A bible dip is basically asking a question and then opening a bible to a random page, pointing your finger on that page and making sense out of the phrase/word you're pointing at in response to your question... only I'm gonna use Running with Scissors instead of a bible.

Here goes: Will the movie be as good as the book?

(point) ...stove...

huh?

I read the whole paragraph just to get a grasp of the context...

"Your father isn't going to kill me," my mother said, switching on the front burner of the stove, pulling a More from her pack, and leaning over to light it on the heating coil. "He'd rather suffocate me with his horribly oppressive manipulation and then wait for me to cut my own throat."

huh? I can't get how that relates to my question. "But, Roll of the eyes, What can you do? Shrug."




Winsome Gunning Art Walk
Oh, I've been a terrible lessor... I'm late introducing The Artist. She is my tenant for this week. She creates amazing paintings in her posts that are reminiscent of the art in The Little Prince. Do check out her blog at Winsome Gunning Art Walk. :)

Labels: BE tenant, Bookworms Anonymous, movies

Finally back to my old routine... sleeping for 8 hours, waking up after the sun has fully risen, blogging at night and sitting more than standing. The National Conference of Architects is finally over! I have yet to digest the events of the past days... It felt like a 3 day somnambulist expedition, waking up before 6 am has that effect on me.

---

My first experience of Trick or Treat was last year... ok so it was second-hand. Here's a pic of nephew and niece in costumes my sis and I rushed a night before the event. Who knew I had "stage-mom" genes...


Trick or Treating isn't too big in the Philippines. Kids here do their Christmas carolling instead (Like a reversed Nightmare Before Christmas) The old hide-and-seek with the carollers dance begins sometime in October. Aside from visits to the cemetery, scaring one's self shitless during this blessed night is the tradition my generation has embraced.

I am channel-surfing like a minesweeper. I make mental notes of channels that are showing horror flicks and skip said channels with the memory of AJ, for fear that I may retain some creepy imagery which my hyperactive imagination might feed on. The thing with me and scary movies is when I happen to stumble upon one, I need to finish it. By doing so, I tend to criticize the pathetic storyline, my inner critic overshadows my inner scaredy cat. An unresolved movie is a phobic's imagination's playground.

Horror films on Halloween... I made that stupid mistake with Halimaw sa Banga (Ghoul in the Big Clay Jar) when I was 10 (who knew a movie with cute girl named Matet could cause me several years of utter fear of huge ornamental jars)... with Amityville when I was 14 (the scarier part is that it's based on actual events)... with the Shake, Rattle and Roll movies when I was in highschool (I know the special effects are pathetic but Mary Walters, bless her soul, made me gerontophobic)... with all three Scream movies and both I Know What you Did... movies when I was in college (Just kill Neve Campbell and Jennifer Love Hewitt so we can get on with our lives!). I have yet to make that mistake after I left the academe.

My checklist for watching scary movies: foremost, the date must be nowhere near October 31, noontime, lots of friends, a back-up plan to spend a late night spent trying to forget what I saw. I remember watching a Scream marathon alone in an empty house, everyone went down to Bulacan for Undas (All Saints' Say)... I unplugged the phone. It isn't as scary on hindsight, especially thanks to the Wayans Brothers parody. I am such a wuss. That coupled with my morbid curiosity makes for a lethal combination, drawing out any notion of sleep from my head... eyes darting between window, door and mirror... making sure an elongated skull mask with a Rambo knife or that damn crawling Japanese girl with wet hair doesn't catch me off guard.

Ok, all this talk of horror movies has unleashed repressed images in the recesses of the "Do not open" chambers of my brain. I guess I made the mistake again... and I guess whoever declared November 1 a holiday must've been a pansy like me, Heshe didn't sleep the night before and needed a day to recuperate...

My back-up plan: watching my movie backlog.

Where is a Julie Andrews movie when you need one?
Raindrops and roses and vindictive kittens...
Bright copper kettles and warm blood stained mittens...
Brown paper packages, decapitated heads of things...
These are a few of my favorite things...

Labels: blah (3x), holidays, movies

I never could relate to the anxiety highschool students in teen movies feel (yes, I have watched quite a number of them... blame everyone from Molly Ringwald to Jason Biggs) For the most part, it was exhilirating and even during the worst episodes, it was bearable.

Some recurring storylines in such movies:

• a cafeteria caste syste (best described in Mean Girls)
• an ugly ducking becoming prom queen (She's All That, Never Been Kissed, and Carrie... technically, Sissy Spacek did become prom queen despite the cow's blood and the fiery demise of a whole auditorium)
• enlightenment in detention (The Breakfast Club... a personal fave)
• a philanthropic teacher (Dead Poets' Society, Dangerous Minds... two more movies I really like)
• and, some form of sexual deviance with pastry.
  

My highschool didn't have a prom perse, it was an all boys school... correction, it was an all boys Catholic school. In our "prom", students brought dates. It was uneventful and appeared very Pleasantville-sque. We had teachers circling the auditorium like prison wards. There have been several attempts to spike the punch, but alcohol detectors hindered every single one of them. There were no prom queens, but many, I think the statistic now is the debatable 10%, would refute this.

We didn't have detention. Teachers chose either passive aggression, a visit to the assistant principal's office, or an embarassing letter to your parents. We had our fair share of really good teachers but none of them made us yell Walt Whitman's poetry on our armchairs and they didn't reward us with Butterfingers if we answered a Dylan Thomas question correctly.

Our cafeteria is more like a prison mess hall that always smells of sweat and cheddar cheese.

I loved my highschool. Those were four of my best years made memorable by the whole prison ambience and the fraternity between us jail birds. Our classrooms were nowhere near Vassar standards, heck I don't even think they were sterile. But, we never did open heart surgeries in these classrooms... so the air-borne bacteria and the mildew aroma was tolerable, even becoming.

I belonged to a semi-detached class known as the "Science" section... *Nerd Alert*. Contrary to popular belief, there wasn't much difference between our class and the "regular" sections... perhaps three additional subjects, a detailed lesson on how photosynthesis works, the expectation to comprehend advanced Chemistry, and a surprised look from teachers when you do something extremely dim-witted.

I am an admitted geek. Three classmates/friends and I used to play our version of Jeopardy... I know, this places geek on a whole new level, but our anatomy and demeanor didn't make us believable basketball players, which was what all the other students did. We made categories and questions, then alternated being Alex Trebek. One category I enjoyed immensely invented by Marcial was "Chemical Symbols". It was basically giving a clue whose answer is spelled with the chemical symbols of elements. For example:

Question: English Achtung
Clue: Calcium-Uranium-Titanium-Oxygen-Nitrogen
Answer: CaUTiON
(Get it? haha... we were weird eccentric)

This helped with the Periodic Table alot then. I never liked Chemistry before, I found the subject dreary and often times pointless. "You will need this when you graduate!", I remember my Chem professor declaring. Aside from cement mixing, Chemistry has not been at all useful in my profession. Although I did wish I listened in class more whenever I watch CSI.

The tradition of my highschool has died. It is now co-ed. It has been moved to a more antiseptic academic-looking building. Sad. Very sad. Although the old building is still being used, it would have been more appropriate to turn it into a museum with tours ala-Alcatraz.

"This is the cell... err classroom where Mr. so and so spent 4 years of solitary confinement. This is the torture chamber... I mean Chemistry laboratory. And this is the cell where 4 prisoners spelled words with Chemical Symbols."

Labels: baguio, flashback music please, movies, quarterlife

Un:
It was dear Vianca's first birthday celebration last night. She is the adorable daughter of my officemate. She is extremely ticklish and would give a four-toothed smile whenever you touched her armpits or her knees.
I've been googling for over thirty minutes now searching for any idea when memory starts. One said 3, one said before birth... I have no idea what happened on my first birthday except for what I can piece out from old polaroid family pictures.



Deux:
Oh joy! I found two of David Sedaris books! After getting hooked on Me Talk Pretty One Day, I was a crazy National Bookstore patron asking a couple of salesladies for an inventory or Sedaris' books. They need to apply the Dewey decimal system or fix their classification system or something. First the biographical essays were placed in the Fiction section, and second I had to supervise as one of the ladies looked for the books in a shelf clearly devoted to John Grisham and another shelf/shrine for Paulo Coelho. I knew I had to step up and find the books myself... which I did... eventually.



Trois:
I went pirated DVD shopping the other night with Joanne before we headed for Caffeeklatsch. I was looking for A Scanner Darkly, which I am pretty sure won't be aired in any Philippine cinema. They had one but I was disappointed when it was a sine copy not a DVD copy yet.
While we were scanning the movies like vinyl records, a Korean girl popped her head between Joanne and I asking the vendor for "Koreotology?"... I gave Joanne a quizzical look. She mouthed "Korea novela!"... I shook my head and mouthed "Choreography!"... The vendor without even an ounce of doubt told the Korean girl "We don't have Coyote Ugly." When the Korean left... Aahhhh... Marunong pala kayo mag-korean ate...

I bought three CDs that night and decided to do a semi-movie marathon when I got home from Vianca's birthday.

The Producers
Blah... I wasted 75 bucks on this. After really liking Rent, I thought I'd give another Broadway musical a go. They must have done something different with the musical for it to be a hit.
Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane) is a producer of a flop musical and Leo Bloom (Matthew Broderick) is an accountant. The whole premise of the story is that producing a flop can make more money than a hit if an accountant would tweak the books. The Producers was written by Mel Brooks, he is the voice of Bugs Bunny and several other Looney Tunes. (Erratum: Thanks snglguy... It was Mel Blanc who provided the voice of Bugs Bunny... hahaha... my bad!)
Most of the characters were overly satirical although I think they were written and made to be performed that way. The songs were too cabaret for my taste and made me remember that aspect of musicals that I don't particularly like. I can't get Timon (The Lion King) when Nathan Lane performed and Matthew Broderick's character is all too similar with Peter Macnicol's role as Renfield in Dracula: Dead and Loving It (coincidentally another Mel Brooks movie) Uma Thurman as Ulla and Will Ferrel as Franz Liebkind were good (not great) supporting roles. The best performances of the movie were done by the even more sardonic minor characters like an assistant who prolongs "yesssss" awkwardly. If you're gonna go sardonic... do it to the nth.
I like the cinematography though reminiscent of Fred Astaire or Audrey Hepburn movies. I especially like the dance Ulla and Bloom did in the freshly painted white office. I didn't know Matthew Broderick can sing and dance. And I loved Uma's gracefulness in the green dress, especially when she slid across the table. I guess the training she did for the Kill Bill movies came in helpful. Movie not recommended for non-musical fans.



Prime
This movie looks into an older woman-younger man relationship, which is normally subjected to a double standard of morality. I thought it would be similar to The Graduate, but Uma doesn't look a day over 30. Rafi (Uma Thurman) is a 37 year old divorcee who meets David (Bryan Greenberg) a 23 year old artist, both in the Prime of their sexuality. Meryl Streep, who is as usual spectacular, is Lisa, Rafi's psychiatrist and early in the movie revealed as David's mom.
I watched the movie generally from Meryl's point of view, a spectator of Rafi and David's relationship. Meryl quickly deciphered from her sessions with Uma that she is dating her son, and its refreshing the movie didn't stretch this "twist" when it was already evident.
The best performances of the movie were done by the two female roles in Meryl's office. It's hilarious how Meryl struggles with her role to her patient and her role as a mom. How she conceals her emotions when Uma divulge's intimate details about her sex life with David. (Rafi: You let me talk about his penis?, Lisa: Trust me, that was harder for me than it was for you) Bryan Greenberg was physically a perfect fit for the role but he lacked a certain something I can't quite put my finger on.
As opposed to The Producers, the supporting roles were bland and only delivered lines for the main characters to develop their characters on. Except maybe for Jon Abrahams who is David's obnoxious friend that threw pies at his ex-dates and Bubi whose head panslapping is David's image of a conscience.
The movie was good until it reached the final 10 minutes or so when everything got ambiguous, the whole gift thing at the end seemed like Ben Younger didn't know how to end the movie and it didn't fit with the "one year later" segment at the end, which I think was written before the later half of the movie.



Sex, Lies and Videotape
It was 3 am when I finished Prime, so I put off watching this movie thinking I couldn't appreciate it as much as I would've wanted to with a half-asleep brain. This was what I really wanted to watch and this fact made me regret watching The Producers even more... not only did I waste money, I also wasted time and braincells. I hope I get to watch it before the weekend ends.

Labels: B-days, Bookworms Anonymous, movies

I barely made my 13 post for the 13th day of this month...

proANtagonist

I've always found myself secretly rooting for the antagonists in a book I read or a movie I watch. Most plots are follow the "the good guy always wins" scenario, and villains being the underdog require a secret pep squad. The villains before were one-dimensional, they were pure evil. Their only purpose in life was to destroy the protagonist or at the very least humiliate him out of the super hero business so that they could conquer the world, or whatever it is a villain would do on a regular Wednesday.

Villains now have been given a new dimension. There are still those that are purely sinister but often come in a nice looking package, a great suit and an english accent. Kevin Spacey, in my opinion, plays the best villains (pretend he didn't do Lex Luthor). He was awesome in The Usual Suspects and Se7en. He can say "what's up doc?" and can still give me goosebumps. Gary Oldman comes as a close second. Take movies like Leon (The Assassin), The Fifth Element and Dracula.

I never had a thing for villains that turn good... prideless fiends! I do however like heroes that decide to take "the dark path", usually after some traumatic loss. Darth Vader.

There are plots where the hero-villain line is blurred just enough to make you think. Edward Norton in Primal Fear plays an innocent convict with a murderous split personality. He makes you really believe until they pull the carpet from underneath you and reveal he doesn't have a split personality. Face-off, Travolta a hero, Cage a villain... plastic surgery... Travolta the bad guy, Cage the good guy... another plastic surgery. Travolta comes out alive.

There are also amoral villains that don't intend to be bad but don't intend to be good either. Gollum deserved an Oscar for his performance in LOTR.

I've listed some of the villains I identify with in one way or another. Here are:


13 Villains I Root for

Hannibal Lecter
Who can forget "Hello Clarice"? My experience of Hannibal ended with Silence of the Lambs. I didn't wanna risk losing what I liked about him by watching the other two movies or understanding more about him in Thomas Harris' books. I'd like to think he was born very intelligent with a creepy voice and a liking for human brain. Anthony Hopkins is beyond words. Plus, Hannibal got away. Bad Guys:1 Good Guys:0


Sideshow Bob
After I watched that Simpsons episode where he framed Krusty the Klown, I had nightmares. I was about 12 years old. I realized then that not all cartoons are for kids, and that I'll have an addiction for this show. He is eloquent, usually brilliant and has bad luck with rakes. Kelsey Grammer's voice is perfect. With his intelligence, I can never seem to comprehend why his plans are always foiled by two kids. Note to villains: Study child psychology.

Bruce
Yes, the Jaws shark has a name. Thanks to Bruce I've been eternally mortified of deep water and shark fins. Although I'm skeptical that sharks can actually jump that high out of the water, I stay away from the edges of floating vehicles when I can. I didn't want The Orca to sink but I did wish Richard Dreyfuss should have at least let the shark eat his leg, Bruce was just probably starving.


Inky, Pinky, Blinky and Clyde
Why they are chasing Pacman, I don't really know. Why they suddenly become protein source when Pacman eats the big yellow dots at the corners, I don't know either. These "ghosts" are endearing. I love it when they make Pacman disappear (especially when I'm not the one holding the controls). This is arguably the best game ever made for the arcade.


Lord Voldemort
Tom Marvolo Riddle is another good guy turned bad. Man, he looked gruesome in The Goblet of Fire, although my image of him when I read the book was a lot scarier. The fourth Harry Potter book was the first one I read. It would've been fun having J.K. Rowling as a mom and having her tell these scary stories at bedtime. What is it about a british accent that makes it an effective villainous voice? Ralph Fiennes does He-who-must-not-be-named's voice in the recent movies. I have a gut feeling Harry will be die in Book 7.


The Martians from Mars Attacks!
There is something sinisterly satisfying with seeing the fictional disintegration of the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal and such landmarks. The martians look funnier than they do menacing especially when they talk in their high pitched yaks. Seeing Sarah Jessica Parker's head on a dog was reason enough for me to see the movie. In case such martians do attack, I have an mp3 of Slim Whitman's "Indian Love Call"... just in case. Note to villains: Buy a zillion ear-muffs.


The Wicked Queen
Vanity takes on a regal figure with extra long eyelashes. Snow White is such a hapless and helpless heroine. The Wicked Queen should have picked on a more challenging nemesis, not one that sings "Whistle while you Work" with squirrels. It would have been a more exhilirating movie if the Wicked Queen was jealous of Ursula. Imagine the things these two would have done to each other. Note to villains: Beauty is only skin deep, youth is transient and never listen to a talking mirror.


The Joker
There are many portrayals of the Joker. But, Jack Nicholson's is the one that clearly sticks to my memory, especially that scene where they were vandalizing a museum. Anyone who can get away with green hair and an eggplant suit deserves my utmost support. I also wanted to include Jack as Jack Torrance but I haven't seen The Shining yet and all I know about the movie is the infamous "Heeere's Johnny!"



The Nazgul
Nine Ringwraiths. These hooded horsemen scared the heck out of me, especially when operatic music accompanies their movement. The sniffing. The horsehooves. The movie did the scariness of the ringwraiths in the LOTR books justice. However, the Nazgul were scarier when theny were on horseback rather than when they were on those dragon-like thingies. Their shrieks really affect your body when the volume is set just right. Man, I'd love to have these nine as bodyguards. Sauron had it all, for someone really powerful, why did he just have one eye guarding his empire? Note to villains: Add more eyes.

The Wicked Witch of the West
Anyone who has a green face... I never got what the ruby red slippers can do from the Judy Garland The Wizard of Oz. The only magic I saw it do was to take Dorothy back to her home, and they are unsightly. Why the WWotW covets it must be privy only to her and her winged monkeys. And what a terrible weakness WWotW has. Who said a little bit of rain didn't kill anybody didn't know the WWotW. M Night Shyamalan must have tapped into this weakness when he made Signs. Note to villains: Buy water resistant black frocks.


Agent Smith
I remember watching the first Matrix movie and being blown away. The movie bombarded you with information and left those who couldn't catch up with the plot senseless. It was inevitable that the following movies would explain the Matrix more, but I liked it more when some things were left in the dark. Hugo Weaving is awesome. If someone his age can "do" martial arts, then it's not too late for me to become a jujitsu master. The best Agent Smith bit is that scene where he interrogates Morpheus. This movie had the best black eyewear.

Chucky
He's full name is Charles Lee Ray? How lame... Confession, I've never seen a Chucky film and I have no intention of seeing one. Just from the picture I can tell what the plot will be. Chucky however, is very iconic. He put an end to the fuzzy, cuddly rep that dolls have. He can wield an axe. Does anybody know what fuels his need for carnage? I take comfort in the fact that he doesn't even reach my knee, and I could kick him til his doll eyes fall out. (although they might have written that in one of the movies already and Chucky found a way around it... oh well)

Wile E. Coyote
If any villain ever really really needed our sympathy, The Coyote would be it. He eternally falls off a canyon, gets smashed under a rock, has a dynamite explode in his face, etc etc, and usually because of his failed ACME devices. As a kid, I always thought, if he's hungry, why doesn't he just use the money he spends on those ACME products on say a pizza delivery? It dawned on me that the roadrunner was his Holy Grail. I can't wait for that episode where he finally catches the roadrunner. I can't stand the roadrunner's obnoxious Beep! Beep!



I only root for fictional villains because in fiction, the good guys always win. In reality, the bad guys control the world... and being true to who I am, I root for the under dogs, the good guys.


Oh and by the way, To two of my favorite English instructors born on this day:
Happy Birthday Ely
Happy Birthday Cheerie

Labels: area 13, idiot box, movies