I just wanted to applaud Christina Hendricks, the actress known for the lead role of Joan Holloway on Mad Men, for having one of the hottest and simultaneously most realistic bodies on television. I know it seems like a stretch to have to point out when an incredibly sexy and attractive curvy woman gets to play a sexy woman in charge of her femininity in our culture, but its true. And frankly, I would be so lucky to have such dangerous curves. Not to mention, I read an interview she did and she's the most down-to-earth, sweet lady. I love her! Here is a great quote of hers from Page Six magazine:
"Sure, I'd be happier with 10 pounds off-- wouldn't every woman? But when I looked at pictures of myself at the Emmys, I thought I looked beautiful. I didn't tear myself apart."
On a completely separate but still related note, heard that Hung was having a difficult time casting actresses for the show. They wanted normal looking, average sized women over 35 and many of the talent agencies they approached told them that they didn't even have such women at their agency. Sort of a disgrace, if you ask me. There are plenty of talented actresses ready for a shot if their body doesn't, well, get in the way.
If my enjoyment of a book can be measured in reading speed, this is one of the most enjoyable books I've read in a long time. I simply couldn't put it down.
Now, I may be biased. I think Chuck Klosterman is totally likeable because I think, more than most people I read, he thinks like I think. And I think a lot of people have this private thought when they're reading him. Here is this nerdy guy who throws around pop culture references like sprinkles on the cupcake of his own self-deprecating over-analyzing sadness. And frankly, I think we all feel that way sometimes.
But I can also see how other people might not like Klosterman. And the book isn't perfect. It moves around a lot, inserts references that aren't always clear, but thats part of its charm. Its like Klosterman wrote a particularly funny diary for us about this road trip he went on and reading it made everyone feel a little better about the times they can be a little self-absorbed or monomaniacal or just plain bad at communication.
Klosterman is a reflection of all of us at our most earnest and sometimes most awkward.
Now, this book is ostensibly about rock star death but I really think its about the death of one's self throughout life. How certain chapters have to be closed in order for new one's to be started. On this theme, Klosterman is poignant and heartfelt, in his own way, and it really is what makes the book so worthwhile.
This book, as well as Klosterman in general, comes highly recommended. And when you read it, and fall in love with it, be sure to feel super envious of my autographed copy.
This review was reposted and expanded from my review at Good Reads. Oh, you love reading and reviewing books, too? Join! We can be friends!
I really wanted to like this book. I remember when I read DeLillo's book "Libra" that I had been completely enamored with his prose. It was a really good book, and he had a penchant for detail that was completely unmatched. And the prose in Americana is good, but I just didn't like it as much. It's not DeLillo's best.
There are a lot of good things I can say about the book. I did love his repetition of icons and ideas that really are associated with Americana: the cheap hotel room, the idea of female sexuality as glorified by commercials, the romantic ideals of cross-country travel. The strongest sections are those in which the protagonist, David Bell, reflects on his own past, particularly his memories of his family and his mother.
There is also a clear transformation in David's character from the beginning of the book to the end, and that ultimately comprises the majority of the story arch. And DeLillo's prose is still very lush and exciting at points. I definitely love the way he phrases things because it is very vivid and alive.
What is important to note about Americana is that it was DeLillo's first novel. He can't be expected to have the poise and delicacy in his early writing that he would later in his career with works such as "Libra" and "Underworld."
Further, some of the frustration I had with the novel may be more a matter of timing. The novel was written in 1971 and was very much a novel of its own time. The Vietnam War is at the front of consciousness throughout the book, as are elements of changing cultural mores. It seems an early example of the kind of work that would inspire the likes of Bret Easton Ellis, with his literature of the grotesque, and it is clear that the novel investigates many postmodern elements.
All said, while Americana wasn't all that good itself, I would recommend it to any DeLillo fan in order to gain a wider understanding of his work. For anyone else, I would recommend DeLillo and I would start with his excellent novel, "Libra."
This review was reposted and expanded from my review at Good Reads. Oh, you love reviewing books, too? Join! We can be friends!
Okay, so a lot of people talk about summer blockbusters, but it has never been my experience that summer is all that great for movies. At least, it seems, the movies I tend to like seem to always come out in the fall and into the winter, pushing themselves to the front of people's minds for awards season. All I know is there is a lot of stuff that either recently came out and/or is coming out soon that I'm really excited for. I figure it's my blogly duty to put it on your radar, no?
Coming Out: October 16th, 2009
This is a sort of follow-up to very lovely Paris Je T'aime and it looks good. It doesn't look as good as Paris Je T'aime necessarily, and I would definitely recommend that one see that movie before ever seeing this one, but I'm still excited. I loved the concept of a series of short stories creating one film, written and directed by people who might not necessarily write or direct (or who might, really). I can even set aside my distaste for Natalie Portman in support of the cause. Moon
Out Now
I've heard nothing but good reviews about this movie and I'm really eager to see it. By the way, Keving Spacey is a robot! I'm not normally interested in sci-fi but this really does pique my interest.
Food Inc
Out Now, but generally in select theatres, you have to seek it out
I like documentaries a lot, and I've had this one on my radar for quite some time. I'm definitely excited to see it, even though I'm pretty sure I won't be able to eat anything but organic, local vegetables for at least a week after. Maybe I'll lose some weight?
Paper Heart
Out Now
I'm pretty pumped for this movie only because it has elements of mockumentary mixed with elements of fiction mixed with Charlyne and Michael were dating at the time for real (they've since broken up) and so it might imitate life a bit, too. It's bound to be an interesting mix of filmmaking. And the line about Applebee's? Classic.
The Cove
Out Now
Every review I have seen about this documentary says that it is heartbreaking, haunting, and very good. And suspenseful, to boot! I love the human layer that Ric O'Barry, the guy behind the film, was once upon a time the trainer for the dolphins that played Flipper. He actually witnessed a dolphin commit suicide by refusing to breathe. He feels this tremendous guilt about dolphins being kept in captivity for shows because he feels by making Flipper successful, he contributed to their popularity. What these Japanese fisherman do is technically legal, and majority of the dolphins used in captivity are caught in this cove, and the filmmakers want to expose the atrocities committed. It's almost like O'Barry's mea culpa, and I really like that element of it.
Adam
Out Now, select theatres
I haven't heard anything directly about this movie, but I have seen the trailer a couple different times now, and it just seems so sweet. It might have to do with my soft spot for people with Asperger's.
The Hurt Locker
Out Now
I'm not normally drawn to movies, but I've read some really good reviews about this movie that say it adds a really human element to the story and that the acting is impeccable. It was also directed by a woman, which doesn't sound like much of an anomaly but a woman directing a mostly male cast in a mostly male genre IS interesting. What I've read is that seeing a typical male topic as viewed by a woman reveals something new and different, and for that reason alone, I think it will be worth seeing.
Cold Souls
Out Now
Paul Giamatti plays himself in this movie, and it seems quirky and interesting. It almost reminds me of Being John Malkovich (a movie I love) and it seems like a great sort of dark comedy. I'm excited, at least.
So I sort of have this online friend named Chris I talk to occasionally. Tonight, he showed me this picture:
I must post this simply because it clearly takes the cake for best accidental photo with nerdy celebrities. It's far superior to any other accidental nerd celebrity photo I've seen, my hoodie shot with Mike Birbiglia included. Chris, if you haven't figured out, is the beardly fellow watching Ira Glass and David Cross play poker for a charity event which was held at 826NYC on July 26, 2009. Chris reports that Ira lost early on. Suck it, Glass.
He also once memorized many facts about Ulysses S Grant in order to have a historically accurate Halloween costume. And his senior photo showed him posed as Elvis Costello circa the This Year's Model album cover. Right now, he is well in the running to take the crown for "Coolest Nerd (In My Opinion)" of 2009. I dare any of you to contend with that. Yeah, I've officially just made it an annual contest. I expect some competition.
Full disclosure, you'd also have to contend with this visor. Great job!
I just read this article from the Huffington Post, which includes a video, of a man carrying a semi-automatic assault rifle (AR-15) at a rally where Obama was speaking, in plain view of the President. Now, this is legal in the state of Arizona but I think it's a little horrifying. Regardless of one's feelings on gun control (personally, I'm staunchly against it), I cannot understand a single justification for bringing an assault rifle a. near the President and b. in such a crowded area. Furthermore, this one man was not the only person in the crowd with a gun. Really horrifying. I can't imagine being in that crowd and seeing that, the discomfort I would feel. I think there is a big difference between exercising your right to own a gun, regardless of how I feel about it, and displaying an intimidating weapon in a way that is meant to cause fear.
This also happened earlier this week, on the 11th, at another rally in New Hampshire. If you're interested, check out this article. Now, this guy was carrying a sign that says "It's time to water the tree of liberty" which is a reference to the Thomas Jefferson quote: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
Now, this opinion may seem a little liberal but I don't care: if this were a middle eastern looking man near George W. Bush, wouldn't he have been rotting in some prison by now, without a court date? I respect that they're willing to protect, essentially, this guy's free speech but when tactics of fear-mongering and intimidation are involves, shouldn't we be a little more concerned with the President's safety? I don't support violence against any public figure, no matter what your opinion is no the matter. What do you all think?
I have to lead with this because I am almost positive that I am not the only person, even among my (so-far) limited pool of blog readers who is absolutely, 100%, hardly containably excited for the premiere of season six of Project Runway. Guaranteed. As the show was moving from Bravo to Lifetime, it got caught up in a cyclone of legal bureaucratic nonsense that almost kept this season off the air...it was filmed almost a year ago at this point, and fans have been biting their nails in anticipation. It's hard to put one's finger on the pulse of exactly why this show is so good, but it simply is. I think it has a lot to do with seeing some industry insiders whose expertise pack a true punch foster and reward new talent in such a way that it seems to actually have an impact in the designers' continued success. That, and it's just so full of personality. It's been far too long since Tim Gunn inspired me to make it work. It premieres on Thursday, August 20th on Lifetime at 10pm ET/PT.
HEALTHCARE
I plan to say a lot more on this subject at a later date, especially given my strong personal opinions on the matter, but as for a blanket statement related to the topic's timeliness, am I the only one who feels a bit jerked around by the ongoing legislation? Everyone seems to have some wildly bold opinions on what they want to do with healthcare and yet just about everyone can agree that our current system isn't working for everyone. If we can agree the current system isn't working, then why are people so resistant to ANY change? And on a separate note, I am a staunch Obama supporter, but if its true that he plans to "back off a plan," as some pundits have stated, I think it's a bad time for that. If he wants to make this a pet issue, he needs to really drive it, not have a jelly spine on the matter. I would be disappointed if, rather than focusing the issue on what we can accomplish, he gives up on the fight. Stay strong, Barack! I mean, at the very least can we agree that it should be illegal to dump people from insurance plans for getting cancer (it happens, in a roundabout way) or exclude people from coverage for pre-existing conditions? I think we can all agree on that...
COLIN MELOY
Colin Meloy, the lead singer of the Decemberists, has a lot less to do with topicality and a lot more to do with things on my mind lately. He's just so ridiculously good looking and I appreciate that in a genre overrun by really unattractive, very tight jeans and ridiculous outfits that make hipsters and their ilk fodder for ridicule, Colin Meloy can still rock a suit and occasionally, a beard with the rest of them. I love it. He's so good looking, not to mention his talents. I think I like him and the Decemberists because in an industry overwraught with excessively simple lyrics, they dare to be as grandiose and verbose and other ten-dollar-words as they like. Good for them. And with John Cusack, my previous predominant celebrity crush falling from grace due to some grammatically appalling and boring/ridiculous twitter updates, Colin seems fit to fill his shoes. In my dreams.
TRUE BLOOD
I'm sorry to offend any die-hard fans out there, but with members of my family and a couple friends being interested in the show, I've attempted to give it a couple different shots and can only conclude that it SUCKS. Yeah, I had to bold that. I've yet to get through a full episode and most sections I see inevitably include either overly dramatic exchanges or gratuitous vampire sex. Seriously, this goes far beyond my distaste for vampire stories in general and well into the realm of cliche and a little sad. Observe the picture I found, I feel it's absurdity sums up a lot of why I think this show is bad. There are so many good shows on television that investigate so many different subjects that I just find it a little silly that the shape-shifter orgy show is getting so much buzz. Does that make me prudish? No. Do I think people are less intelligent for liking a show that to me seems stupid? Who am I to judge, I love The Bachelor. But I know that for all the recommendations this show seems to get, it deserves a bad review. I'm giving that to you.
NEKO CASE
I haven't heard the entirety of Neko Case's new album "Middle Cyclone" yet because poverty keeps me from behaving as I please. But I do know that I've heard a lot of the songs already and I'm dying to get it. I also downloaded the All Songs Considered Live Concert Podcast of her show at the Newport Folk Festival and it's so, so good. She's so funny and personable in between songs, much like she is when she plays with The New Pornographers and her voice is just as clear and twice as emotional when you hear her live. I've nothing but good things and recommendations to say when it comes to Neko Case and I think she deserves all the accolades I can muster. To listen to that podcast, simply look up the All Songs Considered Live Concert Podcasts on the iTunes store. They're free and Neko's show is there a long with a lot of other great shows. Or you can go here: Neko Case on NPR Music
LISA FRANK
I just thought I'd remind everybody about Lisa Frank, because I was at Target the other day during school supply shopping for the kiddies and I definitely saw a Lisa Frank puppy poking out of a cart. I don't think she's as prevalent as she once was, but I'm glad to see she still rocks the school supply circuit. Does anyone remember these? I'm pretty sure I had this one pictured here when I was in third grade. I'm pretty sure.
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