Movie Club Pick for March: The Rock-afire Explosion

2008 documentary

Rating: 14/20 (Jen: 15/20)

Plot: A look at the history of the Showbiz Pizza Place animatronic animal house band, The Rock-afire Explosion. The 'Splosion's fame was short-lived, but Creative Engineering, Inc. founder and band creator Aaron Fechter noticed a strong Internet fanbase early in the 21st Century. This documentary explores Rock-afire merchandise collectors, some who've even purchased their own Rock-afire Explosion in order to never have to completely grow up.

It's probably fitting that Michael Jackson footage found his way into this thing. Like the King of Pop, there are some people in this documentary who just can't or won't grow up. Jen seemed more startled about it all than I did. Me, I was filled with nostalgia while watching this thing. I loved Showbiz Pizza Place growing up (not that I ever dreamed of owning the Rock-afire Explosion like the guy in the documentary), and I'm sure those special trips to the restaurant contributed to my love of puppets and talking animals today. After all, it was the place where a "kid can be a kid," no matter how crappy the pizza tasted. So it was fun for me seeing the old commercials, footage of the band itself, a guy blowing in a Nintendo game to get it working. A scene in this also caused me to flash back to a turning point in my life. There's a scene near the end of this thing where you can hear the mechanisms, the clanking sound that the band members' parts make when they move around. I remember as a slightly older kid sitting up close to the Rock-afire Explosion and hearing that same sound and thinking, "My God! These guys aren't real at all! It's time for me to grow up." Soon after, I told my friend that it sounded like Mitzi Mozzarella needed some grease and that I was man enough to handle the task. I think that was the end of that friendship actually. My favorite scene in this was when they're taking Mitzi apart. It's like a Mitzi striptease, and like all my favorite stripteases, it goes all the way below the skin, right to the parts you've got to oil. Hot! I liked seeing the behind-the-scenes stuff in the Creative Engineering, Inc. factory. I was amazed at how quickly it all came together since animatronics, according to Fechter, is "everything in the universe put together." But he was making gasoline-conserving automobiles and leaf-eaters in 1973 with no interest in singing animals and then by 1978 had this band together. I really thought Fechter, a college graduate at 19, was a semi-impressive guy. Jen was less impressed, but I thought the guy was a genius. I wondered just what this guy could have accomplished if his brain wasn't as messy as the empty factory he still owns. He seems like the type of guy who should be saving the planet. And that sort of brings us to the central question this documentary explores--is the creation of an animatronic pizza joint band enough of a legacy? It doesn't seem to me that Fechter would say it was. He had bigger dreams left unfulfilled. The fans of the band, however, would surely tell you otherwise. There's a weird contrast set up by all this. You've got Chris Thrash (seriously, is that a real name?) who's had his dream realized just by owning his own Rock-afire Explosion and poor Fechter who, in the interview segments and that sad tour of Creative Engineering, seemed to have trouble deciding whether he was perfectly content or completely dejected. I could have done without the Cannibal Run-esque outtakes at the end or the whole thing about Thrash finding his Mrs. Thrash, she of the giant chest band-aid, and marrying her at skating rink or Fechter apparently hooking up with Rock-afire groupie who realized that Fatz Geronimo would never be interested in nailing her and figured Fechter was the next best thing.

Mitzi, if you're reading this, call me.

A Novel Idea: Writing Advice and Book Reviews (My first YouTube video!)

Ok, so I'm super dorkily excited. I've been working on this video for a few days and finally got it all put together and uploaded. Basically, its a collection of interviews with random people to get their ideas about what makes a book great, and what lessons other writers can take from those books to improve their own writing. I felt very nerdy collecting the interviews, but I think it turned out well, and I got some good stuff. I hope this is helpful, if it works out I plan to make this a series type thing, and do a new video every once in a while. Anyway, without further ado...



Thanks!
Sarah Allen

What's the Bloghound Reading? Yes - it's my ARCs!!!!!

It's hard to decide which is prettier, isn't it?  The bloghound or her book? I love them both!

YAY! my ARCs came today!!!!! For those not familiar with the acronym, ARC stands for Advanced Reader Copy.  The ARC is a paperback version of my book which is sent out to reviewers about six months before my release date. It is considered an uncorrected proof, so slight changes to the manuscript may occur prior to the actual printing of the hardcover, but in essence, it's a sneak peek of THE FAERIE RING.  Want to see more? ;-)

Here's the back:

Ohmygosh! I just about had a heart attack when I saw my picture on the back of the ARC!!! Needless to say - I had NO idea they were going to do that!!!! Thank goodness for Photoshop and removing wrinkles!!!!

And check this out:  They included all the blurbs from the fabulous people who read my advanced bound manuscript and offered comments: (THANK YOU!)

WAIT! there's more: (THANK YOU too!!)

and one final shot (because it's pretty! and I'm excited! :-)

Once again I'd like to thank my fabulous editor, Susan Chang, of Tor Teen, for being such a class act and making this journey to publication truly a dream come true. Honestly, I couldn't have asked for more.

Also, it's my father's 83rd birthday today and my daughter's 15th birthday is Sunday (Happy Birthday Dad and Carly!) so we are celebrating all sorts of things at my house today!

Thanks for sharing the journey with me!!

~Kiki

Year A - The Fourth Sunday of Easter (May 15, 2011)

Did you know that Psalm 23 and a gospel about the Good Shepherd are read on the fourth Sunday in Easter every year of the lectionary cycle?  I read one commentator who referred to it as “Good Shepherd Sunday.”  There’s always something to learn!  Now that I know that, I’m rearranging the order of today’s texts.  We’ll explore the Good Shepherd texts first, then go to the Epistle (which actually has a very small good shepherd connection) and Acts which is about community.

Before digging into the details, it is important to recognize that the Good Shepherd is a metaphor and children have a hard time with metaphors.  Studies show that most children do not develop the brain skill of transference that is necessary to understand metaphors until they are into adolescence.  But, the Bible and our worship are filled with metaphors.  I suspect that we help the children claim them when we carefully explore the details of a few key ones, expecting them to become familiar with the concrete part of the metaphor and some of the spiritual realities it embodies, but not fully making the connection until later.  The Good Shepherd is definitely one of those key metaphors.  Maria Montessori reports that while working in a children’s hospital she found that when she told sick children stories about the Good Shepherd using small wooden figures, they almost all grabbed the shepherd figure and held onto it “for keeps.”  So the Good Shepherd made sense to them in some way.

This week we have Psalm 23 which is packed with shepherd images and Jesus’ claim in the gospel to be the gate of the sheepfold.

Psalm 23

Psalm 23 appeared on the Fourth Sunday of Lent and will appear again in Proper 23 (28) on October 9, 2011.  Go to The Fourth Sunday in Lent  for a coloring sheet to print out and notes about child friendly hymn versions of the psalm.

Read through the psalm one sentence at a time, thinking like a sheep.  At the risk of stating the obvious, below is a copy of the psalm with sheep references as children understand them.  Many church school attending children know a lot about sheep and in a conversational setting can help you with this.  Other children may be clueless about sheep and their care.  After working through the psalm, point out that we look to God to care of us in the same way a good shepherd takes care of sheep.  Note that many people learn this psalm for memory so that they can pray it whenever they need it – in hospital rooms, in scary times, when they are worried.  Consider offering a small prize to anyone who can recite the whole psalm to you in the coming weeks.

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

²     He makes me lie down in green pastures;

Sheep eat grass

he leads me beside still waters;

Sheep drown in running water.  So, shepherd's must keep them

out of streams and lead them to safer ponds.

³     he restores my soul.

He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.

Sheep wander and get into places they can’t get out of

⁴     Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

I fear no evil;

for you are with me;

Name animals that eat sheep and

imagine their eyes shining in the dark.

your rod and your staff—

they comfort me.

Describe using a rod to beat off animals and

staff to pull sheep back from dangerous places

⁵     You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

Remind of the animals watching as sheep graze

you anoint my head with oil;

Oil was first aid for cuts and thorns.

my cup overflows.

⁶     Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

my whole life long.

                            New Revised Standard Version

 

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

R Show this picture of Jesus as the Good Shepherd and identify it as the first painting we have of Jesus.  Explain that it was painted in the ceiling of the catacombs where the first Christians hid to worship God.  Briefly describe the Roman practice of feeding Christians to hungry lions.  Ponder why the artist chose to paint Jesus as a strong young shepherd.  List some situations today in which we need a strong shepherd. 

To take it another step provide children with paper and crayons with which to draw pictures of a good shepherd.  Invite them to show you their drawing as they leave or to post it on a prepared door or bulletin board.

John 10:1-10

Jesus is making a fairly sophisticated point about true and false shepherds.  Verses 2-5 lay the foundation for children.  That foundation consists of information about sheepfolds and shepherd’s calling sheep who know their shepherd’s voice.  It introduces the idea of non-literal voices that call to us.

R Present information about shepherding using a small cardboard sheepfold, a shepherd figure (maybe from a crèche), and some toy sheep.  Demonstrate how the shepherd would gather the sheep into the fold, counting as they came in and checking each one for injuries, then sleep across the gate so no animal or human thief could get to the sheep at night.  Show next how in the morning the shepherd would call the sheep to the gate and lead them out into pasture.  After showing this, reread verses 2-5 and comment that just as the good shepherd takes care of the sheep, Jesus takes care of us.

R Stretch the understanding of older children by telling them that lots of voices that are not actually “I can hear you” voices call out to us every day.  To illustrate, describe a beautiful sweater.  When you see it, it is almost as if it says to you, “Look at me.  I am so soft, such a great color.  You would look so cool in me.  You have to have me.  You will be nothing without me.”  Name other things without the ability to speak that call out to you, e.g. sports equipment, a plate of cookies, a hot cheesy pizza, a sports team that you want to play on, a part that you want in a play, and put what they say to us into words.  Point out that we have to decide which of these voices to listen to.  We have to be like smart sheep who follow only the voice of their shepherd.  Then read verses 2-5 again.  Preschoolers and early elementary schoolers can’t make this stretch, but some older children can respond to the challenge.

1 Peter 2:19-25

Children need to hear this message in other words.  The message is, don’t fight back and don’t try to get even when people treat you wrong.  Jesus is the example here.  Imagine what he could have said and done to the soldiers on Good Friday or to all the disciples who ran and hid when Jesus was arrested and killed.  Then remind listeners that he forgave the soldiers and the disciples.  Be honest about how hard it is to be like Jesus on this AND challenge even children to try to do so anyway. 

                                       REVENGE or REPAIR

R With older children define the word revenge as hurting someone who hurt you.  Define the word repair as fixing things between you and a person who has hurt you so that neither of you will hurt each other again.  You may want to print the words on two posters.  Use a fist fight as an example to explain the differences in the two.  A bully pushes you down accidently-on-purpose.  You go for revenge bumping into him and his lunch tray.  Then he gets revenge by wiping his spilled food on your face and…. soon you are both wrestling on the floor and are finally sitting in the Principal’s office.  Nothing has been repaired for anybody. 

After pointing out how hard it is to find alternatives to seeking revenge, recount the story “The Karate Kid” which tells of a boy who chose to learn Karate and challenge his bully in a Karate tournament.  He won the tournament and the respect of the bully.  That took a lot of work.  This letter dares us to figure out ways to repair rather than take revenge.

R The shepherd reference in verse 25 assumes full understanding of Jesus as the sacrificial lamb as well as Jesus as the Good Shepherd.  And, it blends the two so that Jesus is seen as both lamb and shepherd.  Other lectionary years provide readings that make quicker sense to children, so I'd not try to unpack this one for the children.

Acts 2:42-47

Exploring the value of community is a logical thing to do during Easter season.  It is also a hard sell during May in North America where everyone is hanging on for dear life looking forward to summer and a let up or at least a change in community responsibilities and activities.  Still, maybe especially in that situation, it is good to ponder the importance of community in our lives as Christians.  This text provides a list of activities in the early church that match those of most congregations today.  The list is also a list of good activities for Easter people.  To explore the importance of community and the list of activities, try some of the following:

R As you read the text, ask worshipers to raise hands every time they hear an activity.  Stop to identify the activity in the text and to identify ways you congregation does that.  (Be sure to include activities in which children as well as adults participate.)

R Tell worshipers that it is test day.  Each of them is to recite the 23^rd Psalm (or Lord’s Prayer) on their own.  Ask how many think they can do it.  Then, ask the congregation to recite it together.  (See if they can do it if you start it with them, then leave them on their own.)  Note that while no one may have been able to recite the whole thing perfectly on their own, with the whole group working together, they got it.  Use this to explore one benefit of living all of life in a community.  Whenever we don’t know what to do or say next, there are people around to help us out. 

 

R Display a large bag of wrapped candies (maybe Easter candies?)  Suggest that you might put the bag in your desk and eat one candy a day.  Guess how many days your bag would last.  Imagine eating it each day.  Then, say “OR, I could keep one to enjoy right now and give one to each of you.  That would be fun.  The whole church eating candy together!”  Decide on the latter and pour the candies into a couple of baskets for children to pass to the congregation.  While eating together, reread the phrase “they ate their food with glad and generous hearts” and note that you think you had more fun sharing that candy with everyone than you would have eating one piece a day by yourself and applying that lesson to everyday living.

A twist on this would be to give each worshiper two candies and the instructions to find someone in the next day or two with whom to eat the candies with “glad and generous hearts.”

R Connect community to the congregation’s prayers of intercession.  Before the prayers walk the congregation through your congregation’s practice.  Explain how concerns are gathered.  If there is a time when worshipers can identify prayer concerns, invite worshipers of all ages to offer requests and explain what is appropriate.  Also speak about why you pray for others.  Describe both asking God’s care for them and committing ourselves to care for them (e.g. sending a card or taking a meal to one who is sick). 

It would be possible to do this with children seated around you at the front.  Involve them in identifying people they want to pray and shaping those prayers.  Then hear prayer requests of the congregation and keeping the children around you lead the prayers of intercession.  There would also be wisdom in sending the children back to their seats before gathering congregation’s prayer requests.  The latter avoids having to respond to requests that you don’t particularly want to address with the children or for worshipers with such requests to not state them out of consideration for the children. 

American Idol: Top 11 Part 2

11 are competing again tonight, but this time 2 are going home. Tonight's blog may be shorter than usual because I have somewhat of a headache. Random I was just thinking of when they all sing together and they are lip syncing. I don't think I mind lip syncing anymore, and I know this may seem bad but the Spice Girls lip sanc all the time! But the thing is their music makes me happy and Victoria Beckham's solo material does to, so to quavel over lip syncing takes away the music. As long as you know they can really sing because you've heard them live before ... you know? the theme is Elton John

Ryan is wearing you know what, but what I can comment on is his new haircut. It's nice.

Jennifer is wearing a purple sequined dress that looks like it is mimicked by Victoria Beckham's collection, but I don't think it's one of hers. her left shoulder is bare as the dress only goes over her right shoulder.

Randy is wearing a simple black outfit, black shirt, black pants.

Steven is wearing a black over coat with a black and white flower shirt. His pants are also black I believe. This week his outfit is safe, so that may send him home (LoL ;)..)

Scotty was first. He chose Country Comfort. He's wearing very tight Jean pants, a leather jacket and Lord knows what the shirt is because his jacket is zipped up. I have never heard this song before but he's done a good job.

Naima was second. She chose 'I'm Still Standing.' She's wearing a white pair of tight pants with a white vest for a top. She turned this song into a reggae form, and I like it because it is different. Her red shoes match the red stripes on her outfit. Personally, this is her best performance to date for me!

Paul was third. He chose 'Rocket Man'. Man, I just know i'm gonna be listening to some Elton John music after the show! LoL Um what is he wearing. A white tux with with pink flowers. Some of the flowers seem to be maroon as they are matching his button up under shirt. His performance tonight is definitely unique and i'm thinking that he needs some more training. He's still very cute though.. The flowers also go down his pant leg.

Pia was fourth. She chose "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me." she's wearing a sequined silver dress, short above the knee, with sleeves that go to the wrist. I tink there's some stones in the design and if i'm not mistaken, this is the kind of dress that J-Lo wore earlier in her career? She killed it! (in the good way).

Stefano was fifth.He chose 'Tiny Dancer.' They really need to give him tighter pants (LoL) if it's slightly bagging in the back, it's not tight enough! (Haha) He's wearing a grey vest with a white button-up undershirt and white trainers. I think they should have him wear more modern clothes, because he looked so cute when he was wearing them in his intro. He did a good job, some of the notes took my breath away.

Lauren was sixth. She chose 'Candle In The Wind,' the version for Marilyn Monroe. I have loved this version for a long time, so I can tell you that it's not karaoke. She's wearing a simple black dress. She did a very good job on the sound.

James was seventh. He chose 'Saturday Nights Alright For Fighting." He's wearing a leather vest with black pants and black pants that have slits at the knees. he's wearing several necklaces and I can't get a good look at his undershirt. I sure hope he's not DAMN! he leaned back and I got an amazing crotch shot! LoL anyway, hhe's also wearing a red, blue and grey scarf. his shirt seems to remind me of a map? He did great. Tonight sounded different from Adam Lambert.

Thia was eighth. She chose 'Daniel.' She's wearing a baggy white dress has tiny holes in parts. This has always been one of my other favourite songs from Elton, and I think she did a pretty good job. There were pitchy parts, and I wonder if her ability to just standing the same place may hurt her tomorrow.

Casey was ninth. He chose 'Your Song.' what the devil was up with his arms flappin on his catwalk?? (LoL) He finally got rid of the majority of his wild beard. It looks nice now. It's nice to hear him not always growling through a song! This is a great performance from him. Amazing last couple notes. Didn't know he could do that! Very good! Wow I totally forgot to talk about his outfit! LoL. He's wearing a tux that is a bit easy goin, with an untucked theme and even slightly unbuttoned. His shoes are black, this kinda works.

Jacob was tenth and he chose 'Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word.' Mary J Blige came onto the show to surprise Jacob. Mary J Blige has to be one person that I really respect. Now i'm starting to see how posting a blog about your favourite songs and albums can be a bad thing because in my post about music from 2000-2005, I forgot so many artists that I love! (LoL). (If you are lost, i am referring to my previous post on music from the first 5 years of music, for the first decade of this millennium.
He started out making this sound like a slightly haunting song. He makes it sound good through a voice that could imply he is crying. He's wearing a grey tuxedo jacket with black pants. His undershirt is black with a red hanging tie on the right.. His performance is very good, the only thing I would change is that he should walk around the stage more.

Hailey was eleventh and final. She chose 'Bennie & The Jets.' There's a line about killing the fatted calf, i'd probably change the lyrics at that part too, 'We won't be killing the fatted calf tonight because i'm a vegetarian.' (LoL!:P). Her dress is multi colored and difficult to explain. It's a mixture of greens and blues and has flowers designs all over it. She did great! :p.

Kind Hearts and Coronets

1949 black English comedy

Rating: 18/20

Plot: Young Louis Mazzini feels cheated by his D'Ascoyne heirs who he feels robbed his mother of her family rights after she married out of love rather than because of social reasons. When his mother passes on, they won't even let her be buried with the family. That's the last straw for Louis who, already in a bad mood when childhood sweetheart Sibella decides to marry their childhood peer instead of him, decides to get his revenge by killing the eight members of the family standing in his way of becoming the Duke of D'Ascoyne. May the Force be with the D'Ascoyne family.

That "May the Force by with you" joke covers a lot of movie nerd ground. Alec Guinness isn't given a lot to do with any of the individual parts, but he does get to play all eight members of the D'Ascoyne family, including Lady Agatha the suffragette, who Mazzini either kills or who just die before he can get to him. This movie's actually in the Alec Guinness Book of World Records for having the most Alec Guinnesses in it. That's a fact, and you can look it up. Dennis Price as the emotionless, calculating killer is about perfect, too. It's a fine line of a character, and if stretched too thin or chewed on too much, it just wouldn't have worked. But Price, like the irony-soaked script, is perfectly suave. He delivers these wonderfully ironic lines (My favorites might be the one about how his principles wouldn't allow him to hunt and how it's difficult to kill people when you are not on friendly terms...oh, and the one about why he decides to kill the priest next...oh, and...nevermind. Just watch the movie yourself.) and you almost expect him to give you one of those big exaggerated winks afterwards. You almost have to root for a villain who's this funny and who recites poetry after he strikes. Kind Hearts and Coronets is one of those films where you don't really feel like you've watched a movie after you're finished. It's so literary and the script is so clever and well written that it feels like you've read a book instead. And I appreciate any movie that makes me feel smarter after I've watched it. I don't laugh very much at all when I watch Kind Hearts and Coronets, but I'd still call it one of my favorite black comedies.

Another thing for those of you who have had the pleasure of watching this one: I read that they had to change the ending slightly in America to fit with The Code. What the heck? How stupid did they think the average American was in 1949?

The Physical Life of a Writer

Some jobs come with some major physical risks.

Writing is not one of them. Our major risks are back pain and carpal tunnel. It does not take huge amounts of physical strength and prowess to be a writer (one of the reasons I like it). That does not mean, however, that we should abandon concern for our bodies. I truly believe that our physical health directly effects our mental and emotional health. Just in that sense, it behooves us writers to take care of ourselves physically.

My biggest concern about investing time and energy in taking care of my body is the time it takes, which could be used for other things, like, for example, writing. But it really doesn't actually have to take that much time, and the time it does take is worth the sacrifice. Scheduling in time for your body will help everything else run more smoothly, I think.

There are lots of options here, in terms of exercise. Join a gym, recruit a workout buddy, everything from that up to training for marathons. There is one type of exercise that I'd like to highlight, though, one that I think is perfect for writers: taking walks. Simple and easy. You can put just as much time and energy into it as you want to, and best of all, as you're walking around you see new people and places, experience new things, smell new smells and hear new sounds, all of which are creatively inspiring. If you can find a convenient way to carry a notebook with you, you could even walk to your favorite cafe or park and do some writing.

So, the moral of the story is, buy one of these:

They'll keep you on your toes.


So happy walking and happy writing!
Sarah Allen

Sweet Movie

1974 sweet movie

Rating: 13(?)/20

Plot: Spoilers abound! It's also disturbing, so you probably shouldn't even read it. It's the juxtaposed tales of a pair of women--Miss Canada, the winner of a virginity beauty pageant who, as a grand prize, marries a rich Texan, is urinated on by his golden phallus, attempts to leave, is taken to the inside of a water (milk?) tower by a muscular black man, watches him skipping rope while naked, has intercourse, is shoved in a suitcase, meets a Latino pop singer, has intercourse with him on the Eiffel Tower, flees to a commune where the participants of a vulgar banquet show off an array of bodily functions, and eventually writhes around in a tub of chocolate. The other woman pilots a candy-stuffed boat with a giant Karl Marx head on the front. She picks up a young man, has sex with him, seduces a bunch of children, and then kills them all. The end!

Finally, the movie I've been looking for--something a little bit more disturbing than Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom. This is Dusan Makavejev, the same dude who directed Man Is Not a Bird, a pretty dull movie that went over my head during the notorious "man" movie streak. I'm not sure why I keep watching these Eastern European films from the 60s since I'm missing so much of the political context. I was born in a later decade and in another hemisphere and all. But hey, I almost got this one, seeing one of the woman as a representation of capitalism and the other as a symbol of revolution. It's a superficial reading, sure, and I don't know exactly what all the pooping and lip synching Spanish pop singers and Nazi documentary footage of a Russian massacre and grown men acting like babies and the blood/sugar/sex/magic and Battleship Potemkin allusions are all about. Unlike Man Is Not a Bird, this is anything but dull. It's wild and wildly unpredictable, not always in a positive way. It's challenging viewing, and, being the type of film that was banned pretty much everywhere, guaranteed to offend anybody who is even halfway decent. To me, the coprophilia, sexual depravities, and seduction of children is more shocking in this than in Salo because in this, it's all sugar-coated. This, much more than Pasolini's film, looks more like a movie packaged for the masses, more pop art than moody European drama, and your brain is just trained to expect a certain kind of images with colors that bright. It's also called Sweet Movie. I don't know if it was Makavejev's intent or what, but the bombardment of shocking imagery, after a while, started to feel a bit more comfortable. One early golden shower from a golden penis will bring out a "What the hell?" but the blow is lessened by the time you get to a scene where one man urinates into another man's mouth. Oh, who am I kidding? No, it isn't. That banquet stuff with avant-gardist Otto Muehl near the end is just disturbing in any context. But does it have artistic merit? I did like some of the set design, especially that funky boat and the collage work (the revolutionaries and pop icons pasted on the inner walls) inside. But yeah, I just don't know. I'm sure this movie is either a trashy masterpiece and much better than I think or just plain trashy and not nearly as good. Either way, I wouldn't recommend it to anybody, but it did make me think. About my movie choices.

And I kind of hope you didn't even bother reading this.

The Karate Kid

2010 remake

Rating: 12/20 (Abbey: 15/20)

Plot: Same as the 1984 version of The Karate Kid except the thirty-five year old "kid" Ralph Macchio has been replaced with Will Smith's daughter. Oh, and it takes place in China and has a Lady Gaga song replacing that Joe Esposito "You're the Best . . . Around" song.

When I was a kid, I was in a book with Grover, the Sesame Street Muppet. My mom or grandmother or somebody had sent away for it. It had my picture in it, and Grover used my name. And you can bet that I felt special as a seventeen-year-old kid, the only boy in my high school who co-starred with Grover in a picture book! I imagine this version of The Karate Kid is a lot like that only Will Smith's daughter's parents have a lot more money to spend on the project. The story is nearly identical, cheesy layer after cheesy layer. I think it might (shockingly) have even more montages though. The incomparable Jackie Chan replaces the incomparable Pat Morita, and the fight scenes are, and this is no compliment, a bit flashier. The big climactic "Crane" thing from the first movie is replaced by something incoherent and goofy, and probably because of the 1984 movie, I knew it was coming and just had to sort of wait for it in agony. "Oh, I bet Will Smith's daughter is going to try to pull that off in the tournament," I groaned. Jaden Smith isn't awful, even with all the bad lines she's forced to read, and the endless training montages looked authentic enough. The kung-fu aficionado in me probably liked those best. That whole jacket thing didn't quite have the impact that "Wax on/Wax off" had though. I also liked the lone fight scene with old man Jackie Chan beating up some children although I wished those children would have been dressed as skeletons. The biggest problem I had with this remake was its length. At five hours and twenty-three minutes, it just seemed a little long. I probably could have done without the couple hours of violin recitals and the montages could have been cut in half from fourteen to seven. I think Will Smith should have his daughter remake Teen Wolf next, by the way. Or maybe the three Back to the Futures! Hell, Jackie Chan could even take Christopher Lloyd's Doc Brown in that one, right?

The Bed Sitting Room

1969 post-apocalyptic black comedy

Rating: 16/20

Plot: It's three or four years after the misunderstanding and unfortunate incident, namely the accidental start of a nuclear war that lasted two minutes and twenty-eight seconds including the signing of the peace treaty. Characters wander through a decimated and desolate England filled with broken dishes and mounds of shoes and dusty abandoned traffic jams. You've got a couple parents trying to take care of their daughter, a young woman who is seventeen months pregnant. You've got her beau, a guy in a white suit. You've got a guy who is convinced that he is turning into the titular bed sitting room. They all search for hope and peace in post-apocalyptic England while the new queen-by-default, Mrs. Ethel Shroake, sits atop her horse in front of an arch constructed of washing machines.

This absurdist Richard Lester film based on a play by Spike Milligan is a surreal, post-apocalyptic trip, like a more consistent and headier Monty Python. No, it's not a laugh-a-minute comedy. It's wry and dry and dreamily English, a Puddin' Pop for the subconscious. I was hooked during the opening credits when the actors are listed according to height instead of the typical order of appearance or billing. Dudley Moore was the second shortest on the list, by the way. I have a high tolerance for the absurd in movies and, ironically perhaps, a low tolerance for the absurd in everyday life. I realize that some people probably wouldn't find a movie where so many characters randomly and maybe senselessly turn into bed sitting rooms, parrots, and wardrobes very funny at all. I'm a sucker for that sort of thing though. Along with Dudley Moore, you get his partner-in-funny Peter Cook as his co-police-inspector riding in a funky hot-air balloon and Marty Feldman (you'd recognize him) as a nurse. I was most impressed with the landscapes assembled for post-apocalyptic England. Nearly vacant, a vast expanse of abandoned junk, those aforementioned shoe hills and broken china, and escalators leading to nowhere, I really bought the world and it's handful of inhabitants. It's all darkly cheeky and drearily comedic. And there may be some Swiftian satire packed in with all the garbage and ash, but I was missing too much context to pick up on it. I was just in it for the Puddin' Pop anyway. Next time I see this, it'll be back-to-back with Dr. Strangelove, by the way.

Look at that poster! No wonder nobody saw this movie in 1969!

Don't Look Back, Just Write

I am a nit-picker. Like, a major nit-picker. I could sit and fenangle one sentence for a week. Unfortunately, this doesn't get books written. Over-stressing about each word puts major breakers on your productivity, and honestly, probably doesn't make the words that much better anyway. In most cases, its your story that makes readers pick up your book, not brilliantly lyrical prose (unless your Norman Maclean or Wallace Stegner), and your story is what you have to get down in that occasionally torturous first draft. The beautiful prose can come later, when you get to the editing process.

I have had to train myself to remember this as I write. I'll finish a paragraph and think, mmmm, that could be better, I could use a better metaphor in this description, or whatever, but then I tell myself, yes, maybe you could, but do it later. Right now, finish this chapter.

Maybe you guys are better at just getting the words out there. Do you have any tricks for how to keep things flowing? Movie soundtracks have actually been a useful tool for me, because I'm not distracted by words, but the music helps me keep writing forward instead of constantly looking back. Like I said, I've had to train myself to keep writing, or else I could never reach my 1000 words a day.

I'm not saying that you have to be okay with sub-par writing. Thats what editing is for. I plan to go back and fix all the things that need fixing, after I finish the first draft. But right now, its the finishing of the first draft that is important.

Happy writing!
Sarah Allen

Megamind

2010 Dreamworks movie

Rating: 14/20

Plot: The titular big-blue-headed supervillain, after a life living in the shadow of his heroic arch-nemesis Metro Man, finally defeats his foe and wins control over Metro City. But the criminal mastermind, despite also sort of getting the girl, soon gets bored without the yin to his yang and creates a new superhero to fight against. When the new superhero turns out to be corrupt, Megamind, for the first time, has to try to save the city instead of destroy it.

I never look forward to animated features from the Dreamworks people and wasn't all that excited when somebody at school picked this for our students to watch on their party day. However, the onslaught of pop culture references and terrible modern music [Why can't the Dreamworks people just hire themselves a Randy Newman?] didn't distract too much from a cute little story that turned superhero/supervillain conventions on their heads and toyed with some of the genre's cliches. I liked the characters and thought the voice talents brought some vibrancy to them. I'm not Will Ferrell's biggest fan, but he's good with this sort of thing and shows some voice versatility as the dynamic protagonist runs through a range of emotions and takes some time to poke fun at Marlon Brando. I liked Jonah Hill and David Cross, too, although the former's got that voice that makes me think, "Who is that guy? I know that voice!" without really knowing that voice and the latter just makes me wish he was making Arrested Development instead of messing around with this kind of thing. Tina Fey is also in this, and you know that Tina Fey wouldn't waste her time with something that wasn't intelligently written. I do like the premise, and although it doesn't quite pack an emotional punch, the adult humor works pretty well without ever being nasty. And I liked the whole good-needing-evil thematic thing and the change our "hero" undergoes, something that wouldn't have worked if his character wasn't so well drawn out. I was most impressed with the animation. The people aren't animated in a way that improves on what Pixar did with The Incredibles years ago, but there's a lot of neat, creative details in the settings. The animators were really showing off with textures and reflections in this one, and I liked how they used color motifs for the central characters. This isn't a movie I'd care to watch over and over again, but I'm actually kind of glad I did see it once.

Still, it amazes me that the people at my school aren't asking for my opinion on what movies the youth of America should be watching. I have my own blog! But for whatever reason, when I bring up classic 1920's comedies that the students would enjoy, I'm ignored. Maybe it's because they know I gave Beauty and the Beast a 14/20. I wonder if it would help if replaced the soundtracks to the silent comedies with some Lady Gogol or Justin Beamer hits?

First Decade Of The Millennium: Part One

I wanna talk about the first 10 years of this new Millennium.

2000

2000 In Music
My favourites out of the hit list that year ...
"All The Small Things" - Blink 182
"Beautiful Day" - U2
"Be With You" - Enrique Iglesias
"Breathe" - Faith Hill
"Bye Bye Bye" - Nysnc
"The Call" - Backstreet Boys
"Californication" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Come On Over" - Christina Aguilera
"From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart" - Britney Spears
"I Try" - Macy Gray
"It's Gonna Be Me" - 'N Sync
"It's My Life" - Bon Jovi
"Last Resort" - Papa Roach
"Lucky" Britney Spears
"Music" - Madonna
"Oops! I Did It Again!" - Britney Spears
"Shape of My Heart" - Backstreet Boys
"The Way I Am" - Eminem
"There She Goes" - Sixpence None The Richer
"There You Go" - Pink
"Try Again" - Aaliyah
"Who Let the Dogs Out?" - Baha Men


My Favourite albums that year:
Britney Spears - Oops! I Did It Again
Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
Nysnc - No Strings Attached
Backstreet Boys - Black & Blue
Aaron Carter "Aaron's Party (Come Get It)"
---(ha! I remember in 2000 when I was 12, I had the hugest crush on him! LoL! Not now though, he's gone all gangsta white boy:-/...]


Honorable Mention
I would have thought this would have been a bigger hit and she would have been more successful. Remember a cute girl by the name of Hoku? From Hawaii?.

2001

Aaliyah
I wasn't a big fan of her music, but I did like one of her songs. I remember hearing that she died in a tragic plane crash and thought it was so sad.


Music
"All For You" - Janet Jackson
"Can't Get You Out Of My Head" - Kylie Minogue
"Drowning" - Backstreet Boys
"Don't Tell Me" - Madonna
"Get Ur Freak On" - Missy Elliot
"Hanging By A Moment" - Lifehouse
"Hero" - Enrique Iglesias
"I'm A Slave 4 U" - Britney Spears
"I'm Real" - Jennifer Lopez
"In the End" - Linkin Park
"Love Don't Cost A Thing" - Jennifer Lopez
"My Sacrifice" - Creed
"One Last Breath" - Creed
"One Step Closer" - Linkin Park
"Only Time - Enya
"Overprotected" - Britney Spears
"Standing Still" - Jewel
"Survivor" - Destiny's Child
"Thank You" - Dido
"Whenever, Wherever" - Shakira
"Whole Again" - Atomic Kitten
"With Arms Wide Open" - Creed
"You Rock My World" - Michael Jackson


Dishonorable Mentions:
OH MY VLOD! From the moment I heard 'Clint Eastwood,' by Gorillaz, I thought it SUCKED! "How You Remind Me" by Nickelback makes me wanna tear out my eardrums! :p "Pop" by Nsync wasn't a very good single choice...


Honorable Mentions
'My Religion' - Krystal Harris





This is interesting. I remember Going to K-Mart and buying the single for Leslie Carter's "Like Wow," because she's the only other sibling of Nick Carter to make music I think. Her debut single was the only thing that was released. Only 5 of her songs were released after you count up the songs from her US Single and her Australian single. Apparently, she never wanted to record this song or make the video for it. Which is unfortunate because the video did cost $350,000 to make! I guess I just have weird tastes but this song just rocks for me! it's like bubble gum pop and 90s pop put together and a total mind explosion! LoL The music video goes off into a weird thing so the song doesn't match the video after awhile.

2002

Harry Potter
VHS's were still being sold, and I remember my Aunt had a copy of the first Harry Potter movie. I asked if i could borrow it because I heard it was really cool. That night, I watched it twice in a row. My Aunt was worried that I was gonna watch it so much the tape inside the VHS would crinkle! (LoL!) She eventually insisted I give it back to her because mum told her I was on my 8th time of watching it. IN 3 DAYS!!! (;p)


Music
"A Moment Like This" - Kelly Clarkson
"A New Day Has Come" - Celine Dion
"A Thousand Miles" - Vanessa Carlton
"All the Things She Said" - t.A.T.u.
"All You Wanted" - Michelle Branch
"The Anthem" - Good Charlotte3
"Blurry" - Puddle of Mudd
"By the Way" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Can't Get You out of My Head" - Kylie Minogue,
"Cleanin' Out My Closet" - Eminem
"Complicated" - Avril Lavigne
"Die Another Day" - Madonna
"Dilemma" - Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland
"Dirrty" - Christina Aguilera featuring Redman
"Don't Let Me Get Me" - Pink
"Goodbye to You" - Michelle Branch
"Hella Good" - No Doubt
"Hero" - Chad Kroeger and Josey Scott
"Hey Baby" - No Doubt
"I'm Alive" - Céline Dion
"I'm Gonna Getcha Good!" - Shania Twain
"I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman" - Britney Spears
"In the End" - Linkin Park
"Just like a Pill" - Pink
"Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" - Good Charlotte
"Love at First Sight" - Kylie Minogue
"The Middle" - Jimmy Eat World
"Ordinary Day" - Vanessa Carlton
"Sk8er Boi" - Avril Lavigne
"Soak Up the Sun" - Sheryl Crow
"Steve McQueen" - Sheryl Crow
"The Taste of Ink" - The Used
"The Tide Is High" - Atomic Kitten
"Through the Rain" - Mariah Carey
"Underneath Your Clothes" - Shakira
"Without Me" - Eminem


Dishonorable Mentions:
"Big Yellow Taxi" - Counting Crows. It always sounded like they were saying 'fucking lot' which was so annoying!
Sorry. Most songs by System of a Down just don't get the honor of entering my ears. Chop Suey????????? *sighs*
AN EPIC HONORABLE MENTION:
Normally, Honorable mentions would be secondary or listed as 'but not least!'; but this is a song that Eminem truly outdid himself on. It was his first serious song that really caught my attention (Even though his other songs always caught my attention too LoL). "Lose Yourself" - Eminem is by far one of the most influential songs I have ever heard by a rapper!




Favourite Albums
Christina Aguilera "Stripped" (2002)


2003
"Addicted" - Simple Plan
"Behind Blue Eyes" - Limp Bizkit
"Bring Me to Life" - Evanescence
"Can't Hold Us Down" - Christina Aguilera featuring Lil' Kim
"Come Clean" - Hilary Duff
"Crazy in Love" - Beyoncé Knowles
"Don't Know Why" - Norah Jones
"Faint" - Linkin Park
"Feeling This" - Blink-182
"Fighter" - Christina Aguilera
"Girls & Boys" - Good Charlotte
"Headstrong" - Trapt
"Hold On"- Good Charlotte
"Hurt" - Johnny Cash
"I'm With You" - Avril Lavigne
"In Da Club" - 50 Cent
"Intuition" - Jewel
"Invisible" - Clay Aiken
"It's My Life" - No Doubt
"Like a Stone" - Audioslave
"Losing Grip" - Avril Lavigne
"Me Against the Music" - Britney Spears featuring Madonna
"Me Myself and I" - Beyoncé
"Miss Independent" - Kelly Clarkson
"Milkshake" - Kelis
"My Love Is Like...Wo" - Mýa
"Numb" - Linkin Park
"Perfect" - Simple Plan
"P.I.M.P." - 50 Cent
"Right Thurr" - Chingy
"So Yesterday" - Hilary Duff
"Somewhere I Belong" - Linkin Park
"Swing, Swing" - All American Rejects
"The Anthem" - Good Charlotte
"The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" - Jason Mraz
"The Voice Within" - Christina Aguilera
"Unwell" - Matchbox Twenty
"Where Is the Love?" - The Black Eyed Peas
"White Flag" - Dido
"Why Can't I?" - Liz Phair
"Why Not?" - Hilary Duff


NOTE: I can never decide which is my favourite songs from the Marilyn Manson cd released in this year. It was the first cd of that band that I had ever purchased, and to this day i'm shocked I was able to at about 15 years old! It was parental advisory

Dishonorable Mention
"Hey Ya! - Outcast! including the music video.


Honorable Mentions
"Stacy's Mom" - Fountains of Wayne. Please keep in mind that in 2003, I was about 14 or 15. The boy they put in this video with braces if I remember correctly, was about 13 at that time, so it shouldn't seem weird for me to say that when i was around 14 years old, I had a crush on a 13 year old LoL. I no longer have a crush on him obviously, because that video is now nearing 10 years old. Plus, i have no idea what he looks like now! LoL. The video was pitch perfect for the song, though I felt the song felt like it came out of the 80s, which is probably why I liked it! LoLz.



"Lights Out" Lisa Marie Presley. I just liked this song so much because it had a story to it and gave an insight partially on how she feels about her father's suicide. This is not the real music video. The real one can be found at her facebook page by following this link:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=1640320646875



"Measure Of A Man" - Clay Aiken. I just have always like this song because it truly goes into how you measure a man's character.

Favourite Albums
Evanescence "Fallen" (2003)
Kelly Clarkson "Thankful" (2003)
Hilary Duff "Metamorphosis" (2003)
Lisa Marie Presley "To Whom It May Concern" (2003)
Clay Aiken "Measure Of A Man" (2003)
Marilyn Manson 'The Golden Age Of Grotesque" (2003)

2004

"Accidentally In Love" - Counting Crows
"American Idiot", "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" - Green Day
"Breaking the Habit" - Linkin Park
"Burn" - Usher
"Don't Tell Me" - Avril Lavigne
"Everybody's Changing" - Keane
"Goodies" - Ciara Featuring Petey Pablo
"Heaven" - Los Lonely Boys
"Leave (Get Out)" - JoJo
"Lose My Breath" - Destiny's Child
"Lying from You" - Linkin Park
"Mr. Brightside" - The Killers
"My Place" - Nelly featuring Jaheim
"My Band" - D12
"My Immortal" - Evanescence
"My Happy Ending" - Avril Lavigne
"Pieces of Me" - Ashlee Simpson
"She Will Be Loved" - Maroon 5
"Shadow" - Ashlee Simpson
"Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand
"These Words" - Natasha Bedingfield
"Tipsy" - J-Kwon
"The Reason" - Hoobastank
"This Love" - Maroon 5
"What You Waiting For? - Gwen Stefani
"Yeah!" - Usher featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris


Note: It is near impossible for me to choose just one song from Ashlee Simpson's debut cd, released in this year, because to me, they are all equally great. If I had to pick a least favourite, I guess i'd say 'Unreachable.'


Note: It is also impossible for me to decipher a favourite song from Lindsay Lohan's debut album released in this same year for the same reason as Ashlee's cd. Despite her publicized issues going on right now, she does have a beautiful voice.
Honorable Mention
"Somewhere Only We Know" - Keane. I just love this song because in a year when a lot of songs were starting to talk more and more about sex, this song simply talks about offering someone a shoulder and going to a place where no one is gonna hear you vent. I love a lot of Keane's music, unfortunately, their tour for the USA was canceled for their second album due to failure for their single, 'Is It Any Wonder?' to get on the radio. they are from the UK. They had two music videos, it's up to you if you would like to watch them both :). The first one is better because the second one is a typical mock live performance. I give you some real music!




"Broken" - Robert Downey Jr. It's the most unique song i've ever heard. I know I probably say that about a lot of songs though. I always try to find more meanings in it when I listen to it.It's interesting watching him sing LoL




"Backflip" - Raven-Symone. It talks of her wanting her boyfriend to prove his love.
Gawd! I had such a crush on the guy in this video LoL!




Favourite Albums
Keane - "Hopes and Fears" (2004)
Robert Downey Jr "The Futurist" (2004)
---[I still want to get a copy of this one]
Raven Symone - "This Is My Time" (2004)
Mindy Smith "One Moment More" (2004)
---[Holy crap! Just saw on Wikipedia that she's 38. She so does not look her age! I thought she was my age!! WOW!].
Kelly Clarkson "Breakaway" (2004)
Gretchen Wilson "Here For The Party" (2004)
---[I love her style and music despite her political preference. I read that she performed the National Anthem at the National Republican Convention one year.]
Hilary Duff "Hilary Duff" (2004)
Regis Philbin "When You're Smiling" (2004)
Ashlee Simpson "Autobiography" (2004)
Lindsay Lohan "Speak" (2004)

2005

"1, 2 Step" — Ciara featuring Missy Elliott
"Because of You" — Kelly Clarkson
"Behind These Hazel Eyes" — Kelly Clarkson
"Bend and Break" — Keane
"Boyfriend" — Ashlee Simpson
"Breakaway" — Kelly Clarkson
"Breathe (2 AM)" — Anna Nalick
"Candy Shop" — 50 Cent featuring Olivia
"Cool" — Gwen Stefani
"Everybody's Changing" — Keane
"Get Right" — Jennifer Lopez
"Happy?" — Mudvayne
"Hollaback Girl" — Gwen Stefani
"Hung Up" — Madonna
"I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" — My Chemical Romance
"Incomplete" — Backstreet Boys
"Inside Your Heaven" — Carrie Underwood
"Lonely No More" — Rob Thomas
"Lose Control" — Missy Elliott featuring Ciara
"Oh" — Ciara featuring Ludacris
"Ohio Is for Lovers" — Hawthorne Heights
"Pieces" — Sum 41
"Pon de Replay" — Rihanna
"Rich Girl" — Gwen Stefani featuring Eve
"Run It!" — Chris Brown featuring Juelz Santana
"Scars" — Papa Roach
"Shake It Off" — Mariah Carey
"Since U Been Gone" — Kelly Clarkson
"Soldier" — Destiny's Child featuring T.I. and Lil Wayne
"Unwritten" — Natasha Bedingfield
"Wake Me Up When September Ends" — Green Day
"We Belong Together" — Mariah Carey
"When I'm Gone" - Eminem
"Wordplay" — Jason Mraz
"You and Me" - Lifehouse
"You Raise Me Up" - Westlife (UK)
"You're Beautiful" — James Blunt


Honorable Mentions
"Better Days" — Goo Goo Dolls. I just like how this song talks of a hopeful tomorrow without getting cheesy. The fact that the song starts out with the world 'And,' is a little odd though. If someone can tell me what the significance of starting out a song or sentence with the world 'and' randomly is, let me know! :p



"Photograph" — Nickelback. This is the first song I have liked from Nickelback since their 'Someday,' song.



"Speed of Sound" — Coldplay This was the first song by them I have ever liked. Their song 'Fix You,' I still have to tap into and find the inner meaning, but otherwise at first listen, i'm not too fond of the message.



"The Ghost of You" — My Chemical Romance. This song seeped into my brain all the time. My friend told me he was going to Iraq and this song just kept haunting me. Still does to this day.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCUpvTMis-Y



Honorable Mentions
"Turbulence" by Lisa Marie Presley. Now I know she's not the best singer in the world. I guess I look past the voice sometimes as long as they can sing on tune and listen to the art they have created.



Dishonorable Mentions
"Dirty Little Secret" — The All-American Rejects. I really like the sound of this song, but the lyrics are just sad! It's about being ashamed of who you are dating. Tisk, tisk, tisk. If the music industry ever needs someone who can write better songs while on the john, you know where to find me! LoL


"Lonely" — Akon. Dear Vlod, i've got a headache just thinking about this song! The first time I heard it, that little 'so lonely,' high pitched voice throughout the song just drove me totally bonkers! The only other time that i have heard this kind of squeak was in Mariah Carey's 'Boy.' For her, it worked! For Akon, Idk, it just didn't :-/.


"Trapped in the Closet" — R. Kelly. This 10 or so song series just was interesting at most, but not something I want to own copies of. :-/


Favourite Albums
Carrie Underwood "Some Hearts" (2005)
Buzz Meade "Reflect The Light" (2005)
---[I just had a psychic vibration that my friend Nicole read this and was like, "WHO???" :p. Of course not many people know of him, he's a local artist from Milwaukee, WI. He came to a local coffee shop in my hometown, 2 hours away from his, and that's where I bought his album. So glad I did! It's great!]
Gretchen Wilson "All Jacked Up" (2005).
Backstreet Boys "Never Gone" (2005)
Lisa Marie Presley "Now What" (2005)

Now the fun part. I tag my friend Nicole to do everything I just did! ........ Well, not really, but if you want to, Nicole, you can. :) :p. I find that Wikipedia helps you remember songs very well. I typed in hit songs of (then added a year), but you aren't really tagged unless you wanna be :p.