Guilty Pleasures

Gender Neutral

2012-01-25T21:33:00.000-08:00

I love legos. I mean who doesn't. They're perfect for kids and adults. Kids can do whatever they want with them and as they get older they can start to follow directions to make cool looking things and then as adults we can follow even harder directions and make even cooler looking houses by Frank Lloyd Wright and other iconic buildings. Legos are definitely for all ages and genders for that matter. They're not specifically meant for girls or boys, but for both. Well, the Lego company might be taking a bad turn by creating a line of legos specifically for girls.

These specific legos are called Lego Friends. Kind of gross if you ask me. I understand that they might be trying to reach a bigger audience, but I think this is going a little too far. The characters they have on the box look more like dolls than lego people. Why Lego company, why?!?! Of course, parents are outraged. I would be too. I want my daughters to play with normal toys. This doesn't look normal to me.

Magical Year

2012-01-19T07:45:00.001-08:00

Sorry for abandoning my blog for a few weeks. There were some insane deadlines at work leaving no time to look at what was happening in the world other than presidential events, but that's not what this blog is about. This is about the fun things that take us away from the cruel world and into the awesome, fantastical world.

So let's move on to the happiest place on Earth. California Adventure has a lot going on and I can't wait until the end of this year when it's all complete. I want to run around like a child! Cars Land is nearing completion and I keep seeing amazing images and videos and it just looks fantastic. The front entrance area is going to look like old Burbank when Walt first arrived to California. I'm most excited about the statue of Walt and Mickey that will be placed in the middle of the square.

Not sure why I love the statue so much. It's just Walt and Mickey with suit cases. What's really cool about it is that the statue of Walt and Mickey in Disneyland is supposed to be the two of them looking at all their accomplishments, while the new one at DCA is the two of them just starting out. Good job with story telling Disney folks.

Anyway, going back to the changes. The area where ElecTRONica is currently, is going away and becoming an Alice in Wonderland/Mad T Party themed bar area instead.

I'm not sure the motivation behind making this area a bar after dark. Seems kind of weird to me, but at least Alice in Wonderland is more Disney than ElecTRONica... Although, this Alice in Wonderland is going to be more like the Tim Burton version and less like the cartoon we all know and love from Disney. So I guess nothing is really changing except the decor. The change is going to take place this summer.

No matter what, I think this is what the Disney folks should have done with DCA in the first place. The changes that are being made are very awesome and I definitely think it will draw more people to the park once it's finished. I guess it took the Imagineers going through a little bit of failure with the park before realizing what the park should actually look like.

Weekend Movie - Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

2011-12-29T10:13:00.000-08:00

Wow. It's been a while. The end of the year has been nuts with work, my grandmother getting ill, and then of course the holidays. Luckily, I have had this week off so I have been able to breathe a little bit.

For awhile, there weren't any good movies out and then all of a sudden I want to see every movie ever! So I started off with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and it didn't disappoint in the least. This is definitely one of the few franchises that has been able to last through multiple sequels that have been just as amazing as the previous. Tom Cruise is looking a tiny bit old, but he did all of his own stunts so I guess he's not too old. Some of the things these writers come up with are just freaking awesome. And to make this movie even better, it's directed by a Pixar alum, Brad Bird. He directed The Incredibles. Who knew that someone could go from animation to live action without even skipping a beat. See this movie!

Wizarding World

2011-12-10T08:27:00.000-08:00

I'm a couple days behind on this, but I don't think it's ever too late to share theme park magic especially because the Wall Street Journal got in trouble for posting the information too early. Anyway, Harry Potter Land is coming to Universal Studios, Hollywood. I bet the first question you're asking yourself right now is where the hell are they going to put it. Well, they're working on that. Through the theme park grapevine, I've heard that they'll either carve out a mountain or get rid of some of their back lot elements and put it there. Either way, it's going to be small and there will have to be separate transportation to get there, but it will still be as authentic as the original. Definitely exciting news for Harry Potter fans. Plus, it will add some new elements to the LA theme park because it does kind of lack pizazz. This addition will definitely add an exciting element and of course bring in more money. That's all they care about anyway. I still want to go to Florida though. Their theme park is an actual theme park and has way better rides. It will be interesting to see what they come up with here. Guess we're waiting til 2013 to find out.

Young Adult

2011-12-05T21:20:00.000-08:00

When I first heard about the movie Young Adult it sounded awesome for a few reasons. First, it's written and directed by the same writer and director from Juno. Second, it freaking stars Charlize Theron. Sounds like a good combination to me! But then I saw the trailer and I don't know if it's awesome anymore. It looks kind of weird... I really hope Diablo Cody isn't a one hit wonder, but it's beginning to look that way. I also hope that Charlize Theron wouldn't pick a crappy movie. Obviously, every actor has a few crappy movies in their career, but I'm hoping this isn't one for Charlize. Yes, we're on a first name basis here. Either way, check out the trailer and let me know your thoughts.

Weekend Movie - Margin Call

2011-11-26T16:42:00.000-08:00

I never heard of this movie until my dad wanted to see it and wow was it awesome and freaking scary all at the same time. Makes me hate corporate America even more and I didn't even think that was possible. After working for a big corporation I didn't think it could get any worse, but it has. The movie has an awesome cast and an awesome script and a really crazy storyline based on real events so it's kind of a win win. I definitely recommend it. The movie maps the last 24 hours of Lehman Brothers before it went away for good. They realized that their losses were going to be more than the worth of the company so they went and did some pretty shady shit. Kind of sad to see all the innocent people that got roped into the shitty situation. Sad to see how many people lost their jobs at one time for absolutely no reason and it was disgusting to see how much money some of these people make and how quickly they blow it. The worst part for me was seeing how knowledgable the workers are and how dumb the bosses are. The leader of the entire group didn't even know how to read the reports the office was putting together and the big time owner asked people to talk to him like a child because he didn't understand any of the lingo. How the hell do these people get into these big positions without even knowing what things mean? Obviously, they know how things run, but to not even be able to read a report if you had to makes me sick. To me, that's like a soccer coach not knowing how to play soccer, just knowing that the ball needs to get into the net to win. It just baffles me that companies are run this way. Anyway, it's a good movie and definitely worth a look see. Hope everyone is having an awesome Thanksgiving weekend.

It's Here!!!!

2011-11-21T18:16:00.000-08:00

YES PLEASE!!!!!!!!!

Only the Good Die Young

2011-11-18T21:42:00.000-08:00

It always makes me really sad to read stories about mysterious movie star deaths. Look at Marilyn Monroe for example. No one really knows how she died, but she was so loved by the public and is still so freaking loved by the public. You can't go anywhere in Hollywood without seeing her face. It just makes me sad to think that for that one moment where she was possibly being murdered someone didn't care about her. I obviously didn't know her, but she seemed like a very nice and genuine person who didn't deserve death so soon.

I feel the same way when it comes to Natalie Wood. Her husband was with her when she died, but no one claimed to know what happened on the boat that night. But now, the captain of the ship is coming forward and saying he knows what happened and lied to authorities the first time they questioned him. Makes me wonder if he was paid off to keep quiet? Why come clean now. She's been dead for 30 years and now he's deciding to tell people there was more to the story? That sucks. No one deserves that. Whoever killed her could have been in jail this entire time.

At least we know what happened to James Dean. Why do the good ones always have to die young?

The Games

2011-11-14T20:14:00.000-08:00

Ok ok. I've given in. This trailer looks damn good.

Weekend Show - Iris

2011-11-07T19:32:00.001-08:00

I got so freaking lucky on Saturday night and at the very last minute got a free ticket four rows back from the stage for Cirque du Soleil's Iris. I was so freaking stocked! I have been wanting to see this show since the second I found out about it. Heck, I wanted to work on the show the second I found out about it. And it was everything I imagined it would be. The technology, the acrobatics, everything. Amazing! I grew up going to Cirque shows in Vegas with my parents and brother when my dad had to go to conventions and I recall all of their shows being awesome, especially O. I'm not sure if it was the subject matter of the show or me being older and more appreciate of the show, but I think this one was probably the best. Which is interesting because the guy at the merchandise stand told me that some people walk out because they don't like it and one of my mom's co-workers didn't like it either. The show was just so pretty and to see what the Kodak Theatre is capable of is just awesome. I was in awe. I'm definitely thinking that my background in theatre and my appreciation for film has a lot to do with me liking it so much. Too bad it's is so expensive, otherwise I would go see that thing 100 more times. It's here for like 10 years so maybe the ticket prices will go down. Either way, I will find a way to see the show again!

Star of Stars

2011-11-01T21:38:00.000-07:00

I am so so happy for John Lasseter. Today he received a star on the Walk of Fame and he definitely deserves it. Pixar has made so many incredible, life changing movies and all because Lasseter had a dream and drew a lamp playing with a ball. Congrats John! Keep up the good work! I would hug my star if I was given one too.

Breaking News!

2011-11-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

I have so many blogs that I need to write, but I felt this one needed to be posted immediately. Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries are getting a divorce after only 72 days of marriage. Of course, people are saying that this was all a publicity stunt and it was all done just to get money. I watched the 2 part wedding special on E! and I don't think it was fake. The couple didn't seem to be getting along at the rehearsal dinner because Kris just didn't care about anything and was giving answers to questions to clearly piss people off so I'm thinking things just went down hill from there. I'm also thinking that the second they got engaged, E! wanted to make a TV special and the couple was kind of forced into things. Kim probably knew before the wedding that this wasn't going to work out, but for some reason did it anyway. Plus, Kris is so young! I don't know many guys who are ready for marriage at age 26, especially professional basketball players. It didn't really add up in my opinion. Either way, the wedding looked freaking beautiful and the Kardashians made millions of dollars off of the special so is this really a loss for anyone? Is that heartless to say?

American Horror Story

2011-10-24T20:36:00.000-07:00

I finally had a chance to sit down and watch American Horror Story and write this. Before I watched the pilot, I read some reviews and comments and they were all pretty interesting and I was very curious because number one the commercials looked cool and number two it's written by Ryan freaking Murphy. How can one guy write two completely different shows? I had to find out for myself. So I watched the pilot and it was very weird, but I wanted more. I finally got a minute to watch the second episode and it was freaking weird too, but there's definitely a lot that makes me want to come back. I'm very curious to see where it will go. At this point there doesn't seem to be any real story line that can be followed from episode to episode, which is different, but there's still something about it that keeps my interest. The basic premise of the show is a husband and wife move to LA with their teenage daughter to get away from the past where the husband cheated on the wife. They find a very pretty house in LA that is a lot cheaper than it should be and of course it's because there was a murder suicide in the basement. They decide to move in anyway because where would the show be without a little craziness and weird shit starts happening. They start seeing things that aren't there, sleep walking etc. Probably not the best show to watch while I was home alone at night, but I'm a masochist. It's very interesting for Ryan Murphy so if you're going to watch it, I recommend watching when the sun is up, but it's definitely worth a watch.

Weekend Movie - Contagion

2011-10-10T22:18:00.001-07:00

Disaster movies and end of the world movies always scare me because they're not too far fetched. Certain aspects are, but anything is possible, really. Ice caps melting and drowning us. Asteroids hitting the Earth and killing us. Totally plausible. So seeing Contagion was just another movie to add to that list. I'm not going to lie, this movie is scary. Something so simple created a huge problem in the world. I don't want to ruin it in case you haven't seen it yet, but the cause of the outbreak is so simple and that's what makes the movie so scary. I'm never going anywhere without hand sanitizer again! Another thing that scared the crap out of me is the fact that the human race falls apart so easily. People will do anything to get an antidote. They will rob you, trample you, kill you, anything to get what they need to stay alive. People stop thinking normally and just do anything to survive. It makes me realize where the saying "every man for himself" came from.

Aside from the scary shit, the movie is pretty good. Every good actor ever is in this movie so that helps for sure, but the way the movie is mapped out is pretty well done as well. The movie starts on day 2 and continues through with everyone getting sick and what not and the last scene is day 1 and how the outbreak started. Interesting concept. Kind of wraps everything into a nice little ball. There were some aspects left unanswered making me wonder if there will be a Contagion 2, but part of me just hopes that everything was fine in the world again after the credits rolled.

Disney 3D

2011-10-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

I thought 3D movies were on their way out. I thought people were getting sick and tired of 3D because it was so over played. Well, for some reason Disney seems to be capitalizing on 3D movies. They plan on bringing back The Little Mermaid, Monsters Inc, Beauty and the Beast, and Finding Nemo. I guess Lion King 3D has been so popular that they're hoping for success with these movies. Honestly, I love these movies, but I have absolutely no desire to see any of them in 3D. Maybe Finding Nemo, but even then, not so much. Has Disney lost the ability to come up with other movies? Tangled was really good so there has to be more movie magic in there somewhere. Why go back to old movies and bring them out in 3D? I'm disappointed.

RIP

2011-10-05T22:11:00.000-07:00

I'm sure everyone has heard that Steve Jobs passed away today. I got the alert from my Associate Press app and it made me really sad to hear the news. I didn't know him, but from what I do know, he has done some amazing things. Apple obviously, but Pixar as well. This man has had many visions and they all seemed to pan out really well. I really hope that everyone will be ok without him. I'm sure he will be truly missed. I know as a consumer he will be missed. RIP in Steve Jobs.

Weekend Movie - The Help

2011-10-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

I finally got to see The Help and it was everything everyone said it would be. I expected something awesome and it was definitely awesome. Emma Stone is amazing, Viloa Davis is amazing. All the other acting is amazing too. It kind of made me want to read the book, but not too much because I've heard the movie is very different from the book so I'll probably just stick with the movie. If you haven't seen it yet, you should. It's for guys too so all you guys out there shouldn't feel weird for seeing it. I'm not even sure what more to say. The plot is well displayed in the previews and the title. I can't believe that life was the way it was and it's still this way in Mississippi. I can't believe that people treat other people this way. It makes me sad, but the movie is uplifting in that you see people starting to stand up for themselves. Ugh! I always have a million things going through my head while I'm watching movies, but then when it comes time to write about them, I can't think of anything so forgive me for being brief. Just go see it for yourself.

The Dragon is Here

2011-09-28T22:10:00.000-07:00

The full trailer is finally out for the American version of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Not what I expected, but at least it looks like it's going to follow the book pretty closely. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I kind of pictured Lisbeth differently so that's going to take some time to get over. See for yourself.

Sing Sing Sing

2011-09-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

I love the Hollywood Bowl. It's so much fun to sit outside and eat while you watch a show during the summer nights. I go every year with my parents and this year was no exception. I went to a bunch of shows and I'm pretty sure I've written about all of them. This past Saturday I took my roommate to see the Sound of Music Sing-A-Long for her birthday and I have to say that it was very fun. I thought that it was going to be annoying with all the people thinking they could sing, but it was actually a lot of fun. It's such a good movie and getting to be able to sing aloud was very fun. There was a costume contest before the show started and some parents came up with super clever costumes for their kids. The kids that won were all dressed like Oscar's because the movie won 5 Academy Awards. Very awesome.

I also forgot how good the movie actually is. I mean I've seen it a million times, but this was the first time in a long time I sat and watched the entire movie from beginning to end. I might have to go every year now. I loved how much the audience got into the movie too. When the Nazi's were searching for the Von Trapp family, people in the audience took out their flash lights and started shining them everyone. Each audience member also got a small bag of goodies and inside were party poppers so when the Captain and Maria kissed for the first time, everyone shot off their poppers. And of course, when they all sang edelweiss, everyone took out their cell phones and waved them in the air. I was laughing almost the entire movie at things the audience members were doing. So I definitely think I will return.

Pumpkin King

2011-09-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

Tim Burton is kind of amazing. There are times where I think that whatever he has to do with is going to be insane, but now that I got a glimpse into his life I feel like I have a better understanding. I still think he's a little nuts, but in a good way. I went to see his exhibit at LACMA on Saturday and it was incredible. Makes me wish I could draw. I loved the way it was laid out. You start in his early years when he was living in Burbank with his parents feeling alienated and then the exhibit takes you through his time when he was studying at Cal Arts to his time working at Disney and then to his most recent movies and adventures. He has a freaking insane imagination. He draws all of these crazy little creatures with scary teeth, but it's amazing what he can do with these little sketches. He can create such simple drawings with many layers. It's kind of fascinating. He must have some crazy nightmares and he must just draw all the time. I didn't know about half of the little stories and characters he created until the exhibit. The thing that makes me sad though is that all the plaques kept saying how alienated he felt and how he turned to drawings to create his own worlds. Makes me sad that such creativity came out of sadness. There was one sketch of him and his mom sitting at the dinner table and neither one of them looked happy. There was another of his parents just watching TV and it makes me wonder if his childhood with his parents wasn't great. But I guess amazing creativity has to come from somewhere, right? Either way, if you haven't seen it, you definitely have to. It's at LACMA until Oct 31.

Scary Mickey

2011-09-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

It's almost Halloween and I'm so excited. I can't wait! I've been actively holding myself back from putting up the Halloween decorations so they don't get boring by the time Halloween rolls around. I'll wait until at least Oct 1, which is just around the corner. Everyone gets into the spirit making the month of October the best month ever. All the theme parks get super into themeing. Even SeaWorld is going to do a Halloween theme this year. I know because my company built it. Anyway, I was on the Disney blog the other day and saw all their new Halloween merch and I'm kid of disappointed. When I think of Disneyland Halloween, I think of cute things that would look cute on a mantel or counter, but for some reason this year they're taking the scarier route. Instead of cute Mickey faces on pumpkins, they have scary Mickey faces on pumpkins. Dislike! I mean there are still some cute things, but for the most part it's all scary Mickey faces. See for yourself.

Ringer Review

2011-09-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give Ringer a few episodes before I made any comments and Tuesday night was episode 2 so here it goes. I was a little worried about the show because Sarah Michelle Gellar is kind of a one note actress and it seems nothing has changed. The first episode wasn't very good and I was kind of ready to change the channel 15 minutes in and when it came to the second episode I wanted to watch The Biggest Loser instead. I'm sad it's come to this. Buffy will always be an awesome show and Sarah Michelle Gellar will always be known for that, but I'm not sure she's able to go much further.

The story thus far is a bit confusing and I know a lot of that is done on purpose so you come back for more, but it's confusing to the point where you kind of stop paying attention. Sarah plays twin girls, Siobhan and Bridget. Bridget is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict and goes to see her sister after not seeing her for a long time because of her addictions. They hang out on a boat in the worst CG scene ever where Bridget falls asleep, which was horribly edited by the way. She wakes up to find that her sister is gone and because of what she sees around her she believes that her sister has committed suicide. She finds a medicine bottle rolling around on deck with her sisters wedding ring inside. So of course the only think Bridget can think to do is take on Siobhan's identity, which means she takes on all her life problems without knowing it. The part that hurts my brain is that the audience finds out that Siobhan isn't really dead. She's sitting somewhere staring at herself in a mirror. Promo picture! It's just weird. Then, the second episode was all about some body Bridget tries to hide in a trunk. The plot line went absolutely no where. Shows on The CW tend to be kind of lame so needless to say I'm disappointed. See why I wanted to stay watching The Biggest Loser instead. I feel like I would be betraying my teen years if I stopped watching the show so I'll give it a few more episodes before I stop, but I have a feeling it might come to that. Sad day. Sarah, I'll never forget you in I Know What You Did Last Summer and Buffy.

Anyone else watching?

The Evolution of Money

2011-09-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official. Our cell phones will now be taking over the world. If you thought they had already just wait for this. Google is launching their digital payment service where all you have to do is wave your phone in front of the cash register and your purchase is complete. Part of me thinks this is kind of cool, but the other part of me likes paying with cash and credit cards. It makes me know how much is being spent where. I mean say for example I only want to give myself $20 per week in cash to spend. It would be easier to keep track of that if I had a $20 bill as opposed to waving my phone all over the place. Obviously, cash and credit card options will still be available, but for how much longer? Eventually, we'll all be forced to pay via cell phone right? These phone waving terminals are pretty rare at the moment, but it's only a matter of time before they're everywhere. Also, imagine all the problems that can come from this. My phone freezes often and it's probably easier to hack into someone's information through their phone. Wallets are stolen too and I guess if a phone was stolen it would be similar. Maybe I'm just trying to find all the things wrong with this because I don't want technology to take over and become a Fahrenheit 451 world.

Werewolf Karate

2011-09-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long and I apologize. I try to check the news as much as possible, but I feel like I've been living under a rock for a little bit. Kind of sucks. I will definitely have some updates next weekend though. I promise. In the mean time, am I alone in thinking that it's odd to see Taylor Lautner in previews for a real movie? I kind of expected Twilight to be done and for him to go away and never be seen again, but that's clearly not happening. His new movie is Abduction, which looks like a major action flick. I feel like he looks a little young. Action movies like this tend to have the older Indiana Jones type guys so he kind of looks like he put on daddy's suit and it's too big for him, but apparently he does a lot of his own stunts so maybe he will be good. He's a cute kid and his female followers will probably swarm the theatres for this so I'm sure the movie will do just fine. I guess we will have to wait and see. I have no desire to see the movie though.

And The Oscar Goes To...

2011-09-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

I'm usually excited every year to watch the Academy Awards. I try to go out and see all the movies and then sometimes friends have gatherings and we do our own voting and pool of money and it's fun times. I even went to a dress to impress party where I actively wore the ugliest dress and put on the ugliest make-up. Well, this time around I'm a little disappointed. Eddie Murphy has been chosen to host and I honestly can't stand him. He's probably the most annoying comic ever. But I guess anything is better than Anne Hathaway and James Franco right? Here's to hoping he's a lot better than I'm expecting.

Those Legs Are As Straight As Elton John!

2011-09-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

I've found a new little gem on Lifetime and I just can't stop watching! It's like a horrible horrible train wreck! It's called Dance Moms. If you're not watching this show, you don't know what you're missing. The show is about the dancers, moms, and Abby Lee Miller at the Abby Lee Dance Studio in Pittsburg. Some of these dancers are kind of amazing and they're only 9 years old, but the show is more about the moms and their fights with each other and Abby. Abby will do something that gets the moms up in arms and then the drama ensues. Or one of the moms will do something dumb and or say something dumb and all the moms start fighting with each other. Abby is kind of a bitch and all the mom's think their daughter is the best so there's a lot of drama. I'm actively excited to be watching a marathon on TLC. What has happened to my life?!?! Everyone needs to make time on Wednesday night to watch this show.

Good Friday

2011-09-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

I know this is just a lame KY commercial, but I think this is kind of awesome. Shows that maybe things are finally changing! So for your weekend enjoyment, here is the first ever gay KY commercial. I personally haven't seen it on TV yet, but I hope to soon. Happy holiday weekend everyone!

Less Hope

2011-08-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

No! Why?!?! Hope Solo, super hot soccer goalie from the Women's World Cup is going to be on Dancing with the Stars. Isn't that a show actors go to when they're kind of washed up and need some money or recognition for something dumb? Hope Solo gets good attention and she's not washed up by any means so what made her want to do this? Sure she's a fan of the show and whatever, but that's a bad excuse. Plus, this means I might actually have to start watching the show or something. Boo! I'm begging you Hope to stick to the field. You actually made me like America.

Weekend Show - John Williams at the Hollywood Bowl

2011-08-28T17:06:00.001-07:00

Another wonderful Saturday night at the Hollywood Bowl. I was scared it was going to be hot because it was ridiculously hot during the day, but surprisingly it was cool. Anyway, I went with the parentals to see John Williams with special guest James Taylor. I went to the show last year and I knew all the Star Wars fanatics were going to be there, but I don't think anyone is ever prepared to see 2,000+ light sabers come out. It looks very cool and my parents loved it.

The show this year was a bit odd. The first half was music from all his cowboy movies where James Taylor read a story and sang a song and then the second half was all his famous movies like Harry Potter, ET, Star Wars, etc. I was a little disappointed because I feel like they could have showed more movie clips than they did. I know it's all about the music, but it's always nice to see the 2 paired together. There was one really cool thing they did with Indian Jones though. They showed the clip without music and John Williams spoke us through the action and then they showed the clip again with the music. It was very fun. But definitely more movie clips would have been better. Either way, John Williams is awesome and it's insane to me that he has all that music in his head.

Good Friday

2011-08-26T09:33:00.001-07:00

It's Friday! And that means I no longer have to work for the hell hole I was working for! Monday is the start of my new job and hopefully it's awesome and I begin to enjoy what I do again. I'm very excited. So just a warning, I may not be able to post blogs everyday. I'm still going to do my best to post stuff, but it might be sporadic throughout the week because I'm going into a job where I will actually have work to do and no time to surf the web. Thank you all for coming back here everyday and reading. I hope to continue to wile you with random wit and wisdom. I hope everyone has an awesome weekend!

Midweek Movie - Circumstance

2011-08-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

So I follow this one blog written by someone with the pen name Dorothy Snarker. She mainly writes about lesbian topics because she's a lesbian. Sometimes her stuff is really interesting. The other day she posted a blog about lesbian movies and how there really aren't any good ones. She also posted 3 new movie trailers for lesbian movies and how they might have potential and the one she mentioned that seemed to have the most potential was playing at USC last night for the cinema students so I decided to drop in.

The movie is called Circumstance and the trailer looks amazing. I was very excited for this movie. It's a foreign independent film written by a NYU Masters student. Even better! It won some good awards at the Sundance Film Festival so I hoped that this movie would be awesome. Unfortunately, it wasn't. It made me really sad. I had such high expectations for it, but it flopped majorly.

First of all, the students in the theatre chose to laugh at the most ridiculous things that I felt weren't funny in the least. That kind of ruined some things for me. Second of all, this was hardly a lesbian story. The movie takes place in Iran where girls are supposed to be prim and proper. The 2 main girls, who are best friends are anything but what Iranians expect women to be. They go out and party and they smoke and do drugs and have sex, but obviously they're suppose to come home and cook and clean. These girls are rebellious. The reason why I don't feel this movie is a lesbian movie is because these girls seem to kiss and have sex with each other just to be rebellious. I never got the sense that they actually loved each other. Especially because one of the girls marries the others girls brother and claims she did it for her. It was just very silly. Plus, the brother was a major creeper and yet afterwards the director said she wanted everyone to have sympathy for him. I had none. He was a fucking nut. He set up video cameras around the house and watched his family do their every day things for fun. Creeper!

I'm going to email Dorothy Snarker today and tell her that even though the trailer looks amazing, the movie is a waste of time. Very sad. Needless to say, I don't recommend this movie. Here's the misleading trailer. Looks amazing right? Don't be fooled.

The Ears

2011-08-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

I will try to make this the last Disney blog for the week. I just can’t help it. I love Disney. This is cute and simple and I had to share. Disney consumer products released a new line of Mickey ears. I want the Woody ears! Anyway, that’s all.

Buena Vista Street

2011-08-23T08:52:00.001-07:00

I lived 4.9 miles away from the Walt Disney Studios for 22 years. Buena Vista Street was a main street that I traveled on every single day multiple times a day. And therefore the Buena Vista Street being built at California Adventure is very exciting to me. It will literally be like going home. To think that Walt Disney came to this very street in 1923 to fulfill his dreams is kind of awesome to me. I lived 4.9 miles away from his dream studio! That’s so cool, but I’m a huge fan so I might be alone here. Either way, I wanted to share a few images and a fly through video of the new street. It’s very cool and I can’t wait for this to be finished. I believe the opening will be sometime in 2012. Very soon! Also, the statue above will be the main statue of the street similar to the one in front of the castle where Walt is holding Mickey's hand. The Buena Vista Street statue depicts Mickey and Walt with their luggage coming to Burbank for the first time. Many people don't know that Walt was a real person, which baffles me and the goal behind this street to show that he was a real man with a dream. Love it!

Weekend of Disney

2011-08-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

This weekend was very Disney filled and I’m not complaining in the least. Saturday, I headed down to the Anaheim Convention Center for the D23 Expo. It wasn’t what I expected, but I still had fun. I got to see John Lasseter and that’s really all I cared about. He and his creative team had a panel discussion and I waited in line for 3 hours to see it. There were a lot of nerdy people, which I didn’t expect at all. I guess when I think of Disney, I don’t think of a nerdy following, but this weekend kind of taught me a lesson. There were quite a few people dressed in bad costumes. I felt very out of place in some instances, but I saw some old co-workers and felt a little better about being there. I had fun, but I don’t think I will be going again. I was looking forward to the Carousel of Projects, which was a room showing all of the new projects coming up like the expansion of Fantasyland at Disney World, Cars Land, Buena Vista Street, etc but I follow so many Disney blogs that nothing was really new. I got to see a model of Buena Vista Street, which was cool, but for the most part, I already knew about everything they were showing. So again, it was fun, but I’ll skip it next time.

Then, I ran back to LA for a night at the Hollywood Bowl with Mickey and his magical brooms for Fantasia with the LA Phil. See, I told you it was a Disney filled weekend. I hadn’t seen the movie since I was a kid and I realized there were a lot of things I didn’t remember. They only showed clips of the movie, which was kind of sad because I wanted to see the whole thing, but it was still awesome. Of course, I was stuck sitting next to crazy people. The lady next to me was dancing and being obnoxious and the girl behind me kept humming every song. Then the dancing lady got annoyed by the humming chick and instead of turning around and telling her to be quiet, she kept shhing her. It was obnoxious. Either way, the Hollywood Bowl is always fun and enjoying something Disney related is even better!

Good Friday

2011-08-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

Is it Halloween yet? I can’t wait! I keep reading about so many awesome Halloween events happening this year. Now that people are starting to have money again, they’re going all out. Especially, Universal. This year, their tram tour theme will be Scream. Honestly, that sounds pretty cool. It’s going to be called “Terror Tram: Scream 4 Your Life.” The title is kind of lame, but I like the Scream movies. They entertain me for some reason so this sounds very cool.

Universal is also bringing in some big names to create some awesome mazes. I hate mazes because I hate people jumping out at me, which is ironic because Halloween is my favorite holiday, but I would have loved to work on all of this stuff. Universal brought in Eli Roth to create “Eli Roth's Hostel: Hunting Season" maze. They also brought in Alice Cooper to present "Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare" and they even brought in Rob Zombie for "Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses: In 3D ZombieVision." A 3D maze? That’s kind of insane and it sounds freaking terrifying. I know some people working on the Bill and Ted show as well and it’s supposed to be awesome again this year. I worked on it the first year they brought Halloween back to Universal in 2007. It was so much fun! I would kill to do that again.

Halloween, please come faster!

Canceled!

2011-08-18T08:48:00.001-07:00

It’s about time! TLC has finally canceled Kate +8. This has been a long time coming, but TLC wanted to squeeze every penny they could out of this poor family. I’m not sure who’s worse at this point: TLC for letting this show stay on the air for as long as it did or Kate for allowing her children to go through this so she could pay the rent. I was flipping channels the other night and saw a new episode of the show and the kids are so grown up, it’s insane! All I can hope for is a normal life for these kids. They know nothing else other than a camera crew in their face. I hope they all become successful in their lives and I hope we don’t read about them in the newspaper for getting DUI’s or checking into rehab. Jon and Kate can go suck it if their kids end up damaged.

Puppet Marriage

2011-08-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

Oh Bert and Ernie. Who doesn’t love these 2 guys? Everyone thinks they’re gay, but no one has ever gone as far to ask that they be shown as truly gay...until now. The public has asked that the 2 wed on Sesame Street. There was even a petition going around to show support for their marriage and it received 7,000 signatures thus far. I think it would be cool to have these 2 puppets marry on TV, but at the same time is a 3 year old learning their ABC’s going to know what that means? I understand how everyone wants to get little kids to understand tolerance at an early age, but usually kids 5 and under watch Sesame Street so I almost feel like it would be wasted. I don’t know. I mean will Bert and Ernie getting married really change little Johnny’s view on life?

Of course, PBS said no to this and told the public that these 2 characters were created to show kids what friendship means. I think I might have to side with PBS on this one. Does that make me a bad person?

Hunger Games 2

2011-08-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

Wow. No time is being wasted here. The second Hunger Games book has been signed up for a movie deal. Obviously, the books are doing well so the studios can anticipate the movies being a hit as well. I just hope the movie is as good as the book. Harry Potter has done a pretty good job and I can only hope this one lives up to expectations as well. The first movie is scheduled to be released in March of 2012. I’ve mentioned before my fear not only for the movie following the book, but the fact that Jennifer Lawrence is playing Katniss. That worries me a lot because I don’t like her style of acting. Maybe the directing will be awesome and I won’t even notice her lack of acting skills. One can hope right? If you haven’t read these books, I definitely recommend it. Very adventurous and keeps you on your toes.

Weekend Movie - Cowboys & Aliens

2011-08-15T08:56:00.001-07:00

I was finally able to hit the theatres this weekend to see Cowboys and Aliens. I was a little scared going into it because I kept hearing bad reviews, but I thought the movie was really good. I'm not sure why people aren't liking it. It's an alien movie, but it's set in another time period. People eat up alien movies so I'm not sure why this one is any different. I think changing the time period makes the movie more interesting. I mean, if we saw aliens in 2011 we wouldn't be too surprised. We know there's something else out there, but I don't think cowboys ever thought about that stuff so to see alien arrivals from their perspective makes the movie more interesting. There was never a moment where I knew what was going to happen. It was all very unpredictable and good.

The premise is pretty simple. Aliens come to earth and start stealing gold and the cowboys want to stop them. Simple, but awesome. If you put reality aside, which you usually have to do for alien movies, this movie is good. So yes, this movie is on my recommendation list.

Good Friday

2011-08-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

I found this blog not too long ago and the content is all about going for you dreams and doing what you love and being happy. This video was posted the other day and I have to share it. It’s pretty inspiring. It’s about 7 minutes long, but it’s worth it. I hope everyone has an inspiring weekend.

The Dr is Annoying!

2011-08-11T09:12:00.001-07:00

I am soooo over Dr. Drew. I used to listen to Love Line every night on the way home from rehearsal in college and I loved it. It was something to listen to and keep me awake and entertained on my late night drives. But then Dr. Drew started getting involved in other things like Teen Mom and making predictions about Lindsey Lohan and the next thing we all know, he’s EVERYWHERE! You can’t turn around without seeing him on TV or hearing him on the radio. Well, now he’s going to be doing a day time show on the CW. Is this guy even a real doctor? On this show he will be working with “real people” and not celebrities. I feel like all the people who call into Love Line are real and the chicks on Teen Mom are real. The only celebrity he’s ever talked about is Lindsay Lohan. Who the hell does this guy think he is? Again, I don’t even think he’s a real doctor. Please go away!

The Swarm

2011-08-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

I read about a new roller coaster coming to Thorpe Park in the UK in 2012 called The Swarm and it sounds freaking awesome. I have to share. I’m all about having stories during rides. I mean obviously it’s fun to just fly around, but I think having a story concept or even just some scenery always makes things more interesting.

Riders will enter a partially demolished chapel before loading on to the coaster.

From there, the coaster will take riders through a post-apocalyptic war scene where riders will encounter a crashed airplane, a burned-out fire engine and a smashed helicopter. That sounds pretty freaking cool.

To make things ever better, the riders sit wing style, meaning their seats are located on the side of the track and not directly on the track.

That makes this coaster only the second of its kind in the world. The first is in Italy in case you were curious. I would totally ride this. I know Six Flags makes some pretty innovative coasters, but none of them tell a story. They all just fly around and do crazy stuff. I want more scenery. Time to book a ticket!

Hackers

2011-08-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, people can be such assholes. The Pottermore site has been hacked and it’s not pretty. The hackers are setting up links in search engines that lead people to sites that carry major viruses and they’re sending out fake early access accounts. Some people are even selling fake early access accounts for $100 on eBay. That really sucks because I’m sure a lot of the people interested in the site are young adults and what do they know about viruses and which emails you shouldn’t open, etc? Way to target a weak audience. I never understood hackers and their mindsets. I guess these are just bored kids who don’t have anything better to do on their summer break. The site of course can’t do much other than delete accounts they deem unfit to be a part of the site. I hope there aren’t any other issues because this site looks like it can be super awesome for big or small fans. I consider myself to be a small fan and this site looks amazing. Here’s to hoping stupid hackers don’t ruin it for everyone.

Manic Monday

2011-08-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

Did you know that MTV turned 30 last Monday? I had no idea that it’s been around that long. The network that made all the rock stars and singers famous is now known for ridiculous reality shows like Teen Mom and Jersey Shore. I miss the days when MTV stood for Music Television and there were music videos showing all the time. But I can’t remember the last time I saw a music video playing on MTV. They did away with TRL, which was the last string of hope for music videos. I don’t even know why people make them anymore. The only place to see them now is on YouTube. Obviously, I’m still a big fan of MTV and I watch quite a few of their brain mushing shows, but I feel like they should pull a Nickelodeon and show their old stuff starting at 9pm or something. Reruns of TRL or Making the Video. I would watch that. You do have to give it to MTV though, they’re definitely good at keeping the teen audiences, and sometimes the adult audiences, glued to their TV’s. True Life, Teen Wolf, Awkward, The Challenge, Real World. Those are all entertaining shows. I have a feeling MTV isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Happy belated birthday MTV!

Good Friday

2011-08-05T08:46:00.001-07:00

Yet another reason why I should have been an animator or need to work in that field. Ex-Pixar animator William Joyce heads the Moonbot Studios team who has created an iPad app called The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. It’s meant for kids, but I would totally buy this app and play with it all the time. The book is an interactive book, which I think are the best. I feel like it helps kids become one with the story. Very cool. You have to watch the video to know what I’m talking about. Now I need to go out and buy an iPad. Happy weekend all!

The Prequel

2011-08-04T08:53:00.001-07:00

Why does Hollywood always have to ruin a good thing? If Hollywood made a good movie many many years ago, why do they feel they need to try to outdo themselves and recreate that? Why can’t they just let that movie live in the vault and inspire them to make more movies like that? Why must they try to remake it or something similar to it? I’m sure I’ve talked about this before, but Hollywood is making a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, which is one of my favorite movies of all time. The idea of there being a place over the rainbow was always my favorite notion. Judy Garland talked about what the song meant to her when she sung it and how she always tried to find that place over the rainbow and was never able to and I will never forget what she said. And here Hollywood is trying to mess that up.

I think people got lucky with Wicked. Wicked happens to be good, but let’s leave it at that ok? That’s the only prequel we need. I guess this prequel is going to focus on the Wizard and who he was before Oz so I guess that’s ok, but I still feel it might be unnecessary. It’s going to be called Oz: The Great & Powerful. I think the thing that pings my heart the most is that Zach Braf and James Franco are part of the cast. Come on! At least pick good actors. I honestly can’t stand James Franco. 127 Hours literally felt like it was 127 hours long to me. I hated seeing Franco’s face close up for 2 hours. Anyway, I digress. The producer is also the same producer from Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Oy vey. This just keeps getting worse and worse! The only good news from this is that the sets are going to be all real. There won’t be many green screens. The actors will be standing on football sized fields of set. That’s the only thing I’m looking forward to seeing. Grrr!!!

Pigeon: Impossible

2011-08-03T08:44:00.001-07:00

I'm back! Did you miss me? Moving was fun and I'm pretty sure I lost 10 pounds, but I'm back to the grind eating all the crap and not moving all day so I'll gain it back in no time.

I wanted to share something fun and light for my first day back. This is a very cute short created by Lucas Martell. Not sure who he is, but his short is very cute. It’s about “a rookie secret agent [who] is faced with a problem seldom covered in basic training: what to do when a curious pigeon gets trapped inside your multi-million dollar, government-issued nuclear briefcase.” I find this very funny because I freaking hate pigeons. They’re so annoying and gross. If you have 6 minutes, watch this.

Manic Monday

2011-07-31T23:18:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had an awesome weekend. I've been moving all weekend and am still in the process of doing so. I don't have Internet at the moment so I hope to post something later if you can wait until then.

Good Friday

2011-07-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

I hadn’t heard of the movie Life in a Day until a friend posted the trailer on Facebook and then I immediately felt like I lived under a rock. Apparently, last year YouTube had this thing where it asked people to film their daily activities and send it in and then of course they created this documentary with all of that footage. The people who sent in the footage didn’t try to do anything special, they just sent in daily routines and activities. I read an article the other day about how the directors had to watch 600 hours of footage. How grueling! But whatever these directors saw and pieced together looks amazing. The trailer looks absolutely stunning.

The movie takes place on July 24, 2010 and starts with people waking up and it shows their morning routines and a lot of them are the same where people turn off the alarm clock and brush their teeth, etc. It takes us through the day with all of these various people doing their everyday things. The thing that I find interesting about this documentary is that each one of these clips from totally different people around the world has a theme. People want their lives to mean something and have the same wants and fears. So naturally, that’s the theme of the movie. That all people everywhere want to be loved and don’t want to be alone. The documentary seems to map that and I love it. It’s always nice to know that people out there have the same fears and it’s always interesting to see how they overcome them.

I’m really excited to see this. It comes out in select theatres today. It looks very uplifting and might be one of those movies to show us that we’re not alone and what we do and feel is normal.

Have an uplifting weekend everyone.

Toy Story 4?

2011-07-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

Is there really going to be a Toy Story 4 movie in 2015? According to Tom Hanks and John Lasseter, there might be. I really really hope they’re just playing around. Pixar isn’t one of those companies to kill a project just for the money. I feel like Toy Story 4 would be doing just that. Andy has given up his toys so now the adventure continues with Bonnie. She’s super cute and all, but I think Andy needs to be around. Sigh. Please don’t let this be a flop. I'm already scared with everyone saying Cars 2 was a flop even though it was very good. I don't want Pixar to fail.

Still A Bad Graduation

2011-07-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

Ugh! So now the Glee people are saying that Lea Michele, Chris Colfer and Cory Monteith aren't leaving Glee. I'm so sick of your games! The cast members signed on for 7 years and therefore can't be leaving the show after the 3rd season. Makes sense, but stop messing around. One of the creators was asked during Comic-Con if these 3 were leaving and he said:

Cory, Lea, Chris, they are seniors and so they are graduating. But because they are graduating doesn’t mean they’re leaving the show. I always say, if you have Lea Michele under contract, you don't just say, “You know what? We’re gonna let you go.” It just wouldn’t be kind of the smart thing to do.

Well duh!!!! I would come over there and strangle you myself if you did something like that. There are just more and more things that make me dislike Glee. It makes me sad because it has the potential to be a good show, but when you throw this bullshit into the mix, I'm outtie.

Window to the World

2011-07-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

I was reading the LA Times the other day and came across this article entitled “Window to the World.” I thought it was kind of odd because it was in the technology section so naturally I clicked on it and I was very intrigued with what I found. Toyota is trying to design an interactive window on their cars for their passengers. They describe it as being similar to an Etch-a-Sketch where the passenger can draw on the window with their fingers. They can even zoom in on something they see outside. Not sure how that works while the car is in motion, but still kind of a cool concept. I remember a long trip I took with my dad while I was in high school and it would have been really cool to have something like this. I saw cow farms and regular farms all over the place and it would have been cool to zoom in on something or draw something on the window. Any road trip could utilize this window.

Car companies are also beginning to create interactive window stickers as well where you can view the price of a car and then interact with the sticker to show you the inside of the car. You can even build your own car. So basically, it’s a car building kiosk type thing. I feel like all this information is on the car website and brochures, but to each his own I guess. I feel like technology gets ahead of itself sometimes. I understand what the car companies are trying to do, but I feel like it’s fun to go home with a brochure. I would much rather gawk at the brochure while sitting on my couch, than have to go to the dealership and play with a kiosk where I can just sit in the car instead. Seems a little silly to me. I’m not a fan of eliminating the man and I feel like this kiosk would do that. I’m all for the window interacting though.

Either way, check out the videos below.

Window to the World

Interactive Window Sticker

Manic Monday

2011-07-25T08:50:00.001-07:00

Sad day. I'm sure you've all heard that on Saturday morning, Amy Winehouse was found dead in her house in London. I was shocked, but not at the same time. I mean, we all knew she had some major drug and alcohol issues and she said herself that they tried to make her go to rehab and she said no. I feel kind of bad because even her mom was quoted saying it was only a matter of time so it seems like no one was able to get through to Amy. She was definitely talented, but a little strange. She falls into that 27 club thing where a handful of rock stars died at the age of 27: Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones and many others. I find that very interesting. Is that like the golden age or something? Like Final Destination seeks rock stars who are 27? Either way it's a shame and my heart goes out to her family and fans.

Good Friday

2011-07-22T08:56:00.001-07:00

Ugh! Rebecca Black is back with a song called My Moment. It’s so awful. At least Friday was catchy. This is just bad. I wish she would just sing and not have machines make her voice all weird. I heard her sing live on a talk show when someone asked her to sing on the spot and she was fine. This makes her sound like she can’t sing in the least. I’m not a fan! Either pick up your game or go away! Plus, it feels like she’s kind of throwing this song in everyone’s. I know people were saying some really harsh things about her and that sucks, but I don’t really appreciate the obvious attitude in this video and with the lyrics of the song. The people you're singing about can make or break you. The public can be really cruel and I would have cautioned against her attitude, but I guess we'll see where she goes.

New Home?

2011-07-21T09:03:00.001-07:00

So now that you all know I think the Glee writers are dumb, could there be a new place for Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, and Chris Colfer? Doubtful, but it’s worth a shot. Ryan Murphy and FX announced a new show called American Horror Story to premiere in October. I didn’t realize Ryan Murphy came from FX originally with Nip/Tuck. Kind of surprising that he co-created that and then went on to Glee. Totally different ball parks. Anyway, now he has created this new show about a family who moves into a haunted house:

The series, about a family that moves across the country to deal with past issues, features a cast that includes Dylan McDermott (“The Practice”), Connie Britton (“Friday Night Lights”) and Jessica Lange. The show follows a husband and wife (McDermott and Britton) trying to rebuild their family after a few setbacks -- a miscarriage and an affair -- and a change of scenery. Only problem: Their new house is haunted.

Hmmm. I might watch that depending on how they handle the haunting. I wonder what made him decide to take on another project and not stick with Glee. Maybe the Glee cast members will have guest starring roles.

Worst Graduation

2011-07-20T09:05:00.001-07:00

Ok, I can’t ignore this any longer. I think this is the dumbest decision the Glee writers and producers could possibly make! Lea Michele (Rachel), Chris Colfer (Kurt), and Cory Monteith (Finn) will not be returning for season 4 of Glee. They will be “graduating” and they won’t be followed off to college. I understand that the writers didn’t want it to be one of those shows where the kids are in high school for 8 years, but wow. Your show is popular right now. Why would you change the cast so dramatically like that? I pretty much only watch the show for Lea Michele. She’s amazing and belongs on my TV singing. There’s a show right now called The Glee Project where the Glee talent guy is actively hunting for new talent. I don’t really like any of the kids they have on the show. I’m not even a very big fan of Glee and this makes me a little mad. I think it’s a really bad decision and I wouldn’t be surprised if the show gets canceled not too far down the line.

Fox is also going to release a 3D concert movie of Glee. I’m kind of over you!

Up and Away

2011-07-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

As everyone knows, I’m a pretty big Pixar fan and I think this is really cool, but did it have to be in Utah? Adam Bangerter, who runs Bangerter Homes with his two brothers, built an exact replica of the house from the movie Up in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were watching the movie and for fun started creating blueprints and then got permission from Disney and Pixar to build it and there it is. They watched the movie over and over to get the exact detailing and they did it. Down to the last freaking shingle. The house is 2,800 square feet with 4 bedrooms, 3 ½ baths, a living room, family room, basement and walk in pantry. Wow! I want to live there! It went on the market a week ago for $400,000. So freaking cool. It should be a museum or something. I wonder if it has the wheel chair lift on the stairs.

Weekend Movie - Horrible Bosses

2011-07-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

A lot of stuff happened this weekend. There was "Carmageddon," which was so ridiculous and if I hear one more thing about it I'm going to scream.

And there was the final World Cup Game, which was so intense I don't think I took a breathe for 130 minutes. USA lost to Japan in shoot outs. I could have cried, but I guess Japan has gone through a lot as a nation and deserved the win. I will still wear my USA soccer jacket proudly even though their defense could have been better.

Anyway, amongst all of that, I was still able to make it to the movie theatre to see Horrible Bosses. I don't think I ever would have seen it if it weren't for co-workers telling me how funny it was. And they were right. It was definitely funny. I was laughing throughout pretty steadily. Three friends have these horrible bosses, each for a different reason and one night at the barthey joke about killing their bosses. It later turns into a real plan and they actively try to go out and kill their bosses. In the end, everything works out and they all become happy with their work environments. God I wish it was that easy. I guess a girl can dream. If you have a horrible boss you dream of killing, you have to see this movie. Even if you don't have a horrible boss, this movie is funny and worth seeing. Jason Bateman always makes me laugh.

Good Friday

2011-07-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone enjoyed Harry Potter last night. I had an issue with the ending, but otherwise it was very good. Another awesome movie opens today and I feel like my childhood is being revisited with Disney’s new Winnie The Pooh movie. John Lasseter had a hand in making this so I have no doubt it’s going to be good. It’s been hand animated giving it the look and feel of the original, which I truly appreciate. Seems like Disney is actively trying to stay true to their own roots and not trying to out do themselves. My mom refuses to see it because she loved the original so much, but I honestly think this movie will be just as good and I’m looking forward to it. I might even bring my little Tigger stuffed animal with me.

Final Installment

2011-07-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter opens tonight at midnight and I’m a little excited. I’m interested to see how Hollywood decides to end this 7th movie. I’ve read all the books and the movies have been pretty close to the books and this last movie looks awesome and dark. So in honor of Harry Potter’s final installment, I’d like to take a look back and see how much these actors have changed. It’s kind of insane to realize how long it’s been since the first movie was made.

Ghost Protocol

2011-07-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

Another Mission Impossible? Fine by me! I think Tom Cruise does well in action flicks because he doesn’t have to do much acting. But I also just like action flicks in general. Also, is that Pink and Eminem singing together? Kind of surprising. Either way, this movie looks like it could be awesome!

Weekend Show - West Side Story

2011-07-12T08:56:00.000-07:00

I went to the Hollywood Bowl this past weekend with the family to see West Side Story. We originally thought it was going to be a live action show, but it turned out to just be the movie with the LA Phil playing the music. It was very good, but I never realized how gay the movie is.

I've seen it plenty of times, but wow is it gay. Obviously, it was perfect for the time, but now when you watch the movie it's very fruity. The guys are dancing all over each other with fighting motions. I had to try not to laugh at some points. The movie will always remain a classic in my heart, but with very gay tendencies. It was definitely a good time though. I always love the Bowl in the summer.

Weekend Movie - Cars 2

2011-07-11T08:51:00.001-07:00

All I have to say is that all the critics can kiss my butt. Cars 2 was very good. It was very clever and entertaining. It was basically a spy movie in cartoon form and instead of people, the characters were cars. Very awesome. I mean, if the critics went in thinking it was just going to be another racing movie, than sure they wouldn't like it, but I think they're dumb. Pixar always has the most clever ideas when it comes to the littlest things and I definitely think that makes them stand out from the rest. The all star cast didn't hurt either. If you haven't seen this movie yet and aren't sure if you want to because of what the critics are saying, ignore them and go see it! The movie has a tiny bit of politics in it when it comes to using gasoline versus finding another form of fuel, but there's so much more to the story and the tiny bit of politics can be over looked. It's hard to even begin to explain the plot line so you just have to see it.

The short before the movie was a Toy Story short where Ken and Barbie think their going to Hawaii, but they get inside the wrong travel bag. The rest of the toys feel bad for them so they try to create Hawaii in the bedroom. So freaking cute. Again, Pixar and their cleverness takes the prize.

We saw it at the El Capitan and afterwards, they had this Gran Prix thing at Hollywood High School and even that was awesome. They had tricycle racing and picture taking and it was all set up like the movie. They even put down a floor so it looked like we were walking on a newly paved road. You could even make Lego cars and race them down a track. So cool! I felt like I was 10 years old. Definitely an awesome time. I definitely recommend seeing the movie at the El Cap so you can experience the after show.

Good Friday

2011-07-08T08:40:00.001-07:00

Isn’t Meryl Streep just amazing? I think I first noticed how amazing she is in The Hours where she was having a break down in the kitchen. When the scene was over, I noticed that I was holding my breath and then I knew. I knew how good she is. She has the ability to completely change herself and it’s just amazing. She can play super serious or she can play a silly mom who sings a lot. She can do it all. I have no doubt her new role as Margaret Thatcher will be incredible as well. I mean, her appearance has totally changed and that’s just the first step. Oscar nom anyone?

The Haunting Hour

2011-07-07T08:43:00.001-07:00

I have been a long time fan of R.L. Stine. I used to read Goosebumps all the time and my brother had all the Fear Street books. I also have some of the books he wrote for the Goosebumps group who grew up. I got him to sign one of them too at some mystery book store in Burbank. He wrote a line in almost every book that will always follow me: I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Every book I read has a similar line in it and therefore R.L. Stine will haunt me for the rest of my life. Anyway, I digress. R.L. Stine has a new TV show coming out called The Haunting Hour. He had an awful Canadian show based on his Goosebumps books so I can only hope this show is better. It will be on the Hub TV channel and will be geared towards kids. The show premieres on Christmas Day with 2 episodes. If I had that channel, I would totally watch the show!

Someone asked R.L. why his storylines and other storylines with zombies and vampires were so popular and he had an interesting explanation:

I think the world is a really scary place, for real. And I think whenever the world becomes a really scary place, this kind of horror fantasy becomes more popular because it’s an escape. It’s sort of an attempt to deal with horrors where you know you can close the book at any time. You know you’re not going to lose. You know you’re safe. It’s one reason why everyone likes it. Every age, people like scary stories, because it’s a way to face fears and know you’re safe at the same time.

That’s very true and also why I love reading his stories. He scares me, but not too much to where I can’t sleep, but just enough to give me shivers. Here’s a little taste of his new show.

Maleficent

2011-07-06T08:23:00.001-07:00

My dreams might be coming true! Disney is going to make a Sleeping Beauty movie from Maleficent’s point of view!!!! That is so exciting to me. Normally, people don’t think to like villains, but I have to say that Maleficent might be my favorite. The movie Sleeping Beauty is my favorite Disney movie and it might be because of her. I’m not sure why I like her so much, but she’s kind of cool. I always wanted to be her for Halloween. As of right now, Disney is thinking of using Tim Burton to direct and that could be amazing, but it could also be crazy like Alice in Wonderland or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It’s hard to say. The movie is still in the beginning stages so we will have to wait and see.

The Hill

2011-07-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

Back at work. Sad day. I hope everyone has an awesome 4th! Since it's been so hot, I thought I would talk about something cold....

Another Disney ride to turn into a movie? First, was The Haunted Mansion with Eddie Murphy, which didn’t do very well. They’re going to try again soon and I hope it does well because that ride is awesome. Then, I mentioned not too long ago that Disney is making a movie based on The Jungle Cruise, which sounds like it might work. It will star Tom Hanks and Tim Allen and they’re a great pair. The new movie on the list will be based on the Matterhorn. The Matterhorn is a fun ride, but the plot sounds too obvious and dumb. It’s going to be an action adventure movie centered on 5 climbers who climb to the top of the mountain and encounter a yeti on the way down. That sounds so lame! Why Disney why?!?! The working title right now is “The Hill” and they’ve chosen Jason Dean Hall to write the script.

Looks like Disney’s main objective right now is to write movies based on their rides. There are many more in the works and I’m not sure how I feel about that. Kind of makes me sad. What do you think?

Good Friday

2011-07-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

Another 3 day weekend ahead of us. Sounds very delightful and I can’t wait. I hope everyone has an awesome time. Please don’t kill yourself with illegal fireworks. Watch them from a distance and hang with your friends. Or go to Disneyland where they have special fireworks. Happy 4th everyone! See you back here on Tuesday.

Land of Cars

2011-06-30T08:54:00.001-07:00

Every time I go to Disneyland, I see the construction and I recall artwork in my head of what the new California Adventure will look like. I can see the rock mountains they're building behind the Tower of Terror where Cars Land will be and the construction where the main entrance is. It's all very exciting. Disney recently posted a video of a walk through of the new Cars Land. It's a pretty minimal walk through, but it gives us all a really good idea of what's in store. I'm definitely looking forward to this.

Diva

2011-06-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

Is anyone watching Drop Dead Diva? If not, you should be. It's a pretty good show. At first, I only saw a few episodes in the middle of season one and I found the main character to be annoying, but I started watching from the beginning and she's awesome. It's a lawyer show, but not your typical lawyer show. Yes, there are cases that they win in court and all that fun stuff, but there's so much more to it. Jane, the main character, used to be a model named Deb. She got hit by a car and died, but before she was sent to heaven, she took over Jane's body gaining all of Jane's abilities and knowledge. The main plot point is that Deb was very serious with one of the lawyers Jane works with and she can't tell him that it's her in Jane's body. Kind of cute. It's definitely a chick TV show, hence the reason it's on Lifetime. What I love even more about the show is that the actress who plays Jane, Brooke Elliott, is a Broadway actress so her dreams are usually musical numbers. It's just a fun show. The first season is on Netflix instance if you have a weekend to watch. No tissues necessary, I promise.

Brave!

2011-06-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had an awesome weekend. Sorry I missed the blog yesterday. Hopefully, todays blog will make up for it. I’m so excited for Pixar’s Brave! These teasers are getting me all riled up. This poster is so gorgeous and the renderings of the characters look amazing!

I’m interested to see the trailer before Cars 2. Disney added a story synopsis to their movie website:

Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. In “Brave,” a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition, destiny and the fiercest of beasts.

Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane). Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Witch (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.

There are some awesome actors in this movie. I’m so excited I can barely contain myself!

Good Friday

2011-06-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

The long awaited JK Rowling YouTube count down surprise has been revealed and it sounds very awesome. She and her team have created a website for the fans as a thank you called pottermore.com. It won’t be activated until October of this year, but the video tells you all about it and like I said, it sounds kind of amazing. Not only that, but there will finally be e-reader versions of the books. I think the website will have some very awesome things just by the way the video looks. The moving animation in the pages is very telling. JK also talks about how readers can interact with the stories.

First, you'll choose a magic username and then begin your experience. As you move through the chapters, you will read and share exclusive never before seen writing from JK and participate in Hogwarts just like the characters. You'll be able to visit Diagon Alley, get sorted into a house, cast spells and mix potions to help your house compete for the House Cup. The user experience is so interactive that you are actually sorted based on questions asked by the sorting hat. Same goes for the magic wand. Your wand is chosen out of 33,000 variations based on questions answered by you.

Like I said, the site isn't live until October of this year, but the first million people to register their email address with the site will gain early access. The first Harry Potter book will be the first interaction experience with the second book to follow in early 2012 and so on and so forth. I'm very excited to see how this site works. I have no doubt it's going to be amazing. Check out the video where JK talks about the site.

Ouija

2011-06-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

I don’t know about any of you, but the idea of the Ouija board always scared me. I don’t want to talk to a ghost. What if they’re mean and want to take over my body and do mean things? Not too long ago, one of my co-workers was telling me a story, not sure how true it was, about her friends who were playing with a Ouija board and one of them started acting funny and they thought she was possessed. I guess they called a priest and he healed her. No matter how true or untrue that is, it’s still damn scary to hear. Seeing movies like The Exorcism of Emily Rose is terrifying because it’s based on actual events. So conjuring spirits was always scary to me because like I said, who knows what they’re capable of. Well, the writer of Mr and Mrs Smith is going to start writing a movie about the Ouija board. I guess he plans on turning it into an action adventure type movie. There really aren’t anymore details than that. I’m a little curious to see where it goes. Will it be similar to Jumanji where the spirits come out of the board? The genre action adventure makes it sound less scary and more fun. I guess we will have to wait and see. The movie is tentatively due to come out November 9, 2012.

The Killing

2011-06-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

Oh The Killing. I haven’t talked much about it, but now that the finale has aired and people have had enough time to watch it, I want to talk a little about it. I hope you’re watching it because it’s really good, but if you’re not I will try not to give too much away. So the series started out with the murder of Rosie Larsen. She was found in the trunk of a car that was also found at the bottom of a lake. Clues lead the cops there and then of course the rest of the season is trying to find out who killed Rosie. You think it’s a million different people along the way and we’re still in the dark after the finale. I will admit that the first few episodes were a little slow, but it picked up and got really good so make sure to keep watching no matter what. I’m a little sad though because a lot of people don’t seem to be happy with how the finale turned out. Yes, it would have been nice to know who did it, but I think the finale was a very good cliff hanger and had a lot of suspense. People are saying it was anti climactic and they’re upset, but I’m seriously ready for more. I mean think about. How many of our favorite shows end for the season with something suspenseful happening and we have to wait until next season? A lot of shows do that. If they told us who killed Rosie in the finale, what would keep us all coming back to watch the season 2 premiere? I’m sure people would come back to see what new case there would be, but they need something that would definitely keep people coming back. I just hope this show doesn’t turn into Twin Peaks where it started to get really weird and then it got canceled.

I also just learned that this show is a rip off of a UK show with almost the same exact character names and almost the same exact story. I’ve lost a tiny bit of respect, but now I want to watch the UK version and compare. Do Americans have any original bones in their bodies? Either way, I recommend watching The Killing. There are 13 episodes total so take a long Saturday night and watch them all the way through and then come and tell me who you think killed Rosie.

Falling Ratings?

2011-06-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

So I watched the series premiere of Falling Skies last night and I have no idea where the story can go. The show kept my interest and I might watch watch it again, but I feel kind of lost wondering what the hell could happen next. Like I said yesterday, it starts after the alien invasion and we see the people trying to survive. It was cool with The Walking Dead, but there was so much more at stake. The main character was all alone and he needed to find other humans and find out what happened to him and his family. Falling Skies doesn't have any of that yet. The only thing that they left hanging was how the invasion happened and even then there are kids who sort of talk about it. Obviously, people will get killed along the way and aliens will invade along the way, but I felt like the story was very anti climactic.

The aliens kill people with their laser pointer things, but they have also taken over some of the kids. They have attached these succubus things to their spins causing the kids to follow orders from the aliens. The main character's son is one of these kids so next episode they're going to try to rescue him, but who knows what happens from there. Not sure if this is a good or bad thing for the show. It might be good because it might keep people coming back to find out what happens, but it could be bad because people might not care because there doesn't seem to be anything to care about. I don't know. I will watch a few more episodes and see where it takes us. For now, I say give it a shot. I read that it had 5 million viewers so I'm curious to see if those same viewers return.

Manic Monday

2011-06-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

Steven Spielberg has taken on a lot lately and I’m kind of excited. He always makes amazing things. First, is Super 8, which I am soooo excited to see, then 2 TV shows; Falling Skies, which premiered last night and Smash, which premieres in the Fall. Unfortunately, Spielberg isn’t directing any of these, just producing them, but the fact that he’s involved with the creation makes them automatically good.

Super 8 has gotten amazing reviews even though it’s been advertised everywhere. I know why they did it, but usually when movies get over advertised, they suck, but the kids in the movies are new to Hollywood so they had to over advertise to get people to notice it. Although, I feel like the names JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg were enough.

Smash looks incredibly entertaining with singing and all that fun stuff. Katherine McPhee is auditioning to become Marilyn Monroe on Broadway. Falling Skies looks really good as well. I hadn’t heard of it until KROQ was talking about it last week in preparation for the premiere and I decided to watch a preview and it looks good. Aliens come to Earth and the people must survive. Sounds similar to The Walking Dead, but with aliens. The series starts after the invasion has already taken place and we see their adventures from there. I haven't had the chance to watch the pilot episode yet, but I have no doubt it's going to be good. So Steven, keep up the good work. I wish I were your friend.

Good Friday

2011-06-17T09:02:00.001-07:00

Just when we thought we were free of 3D movies, 4D theatres are being built. I keep reading that fewer and fewer 3D movies are being made because people just aren’t seeing them anymore. People are tired of them. So then why the hell would you go out and make a bunch of 4D movie theatres outside of a theme park. It’s fun and cool in a theme park when you’re watching animatronic characters, but not when you’re watching a real movie. I would not want to be watching Transformers in a 4D theatre. I don’t want to feel the explosions or feel water falling on my face. That’s just too intense. I can handle it at a theme park for a 15 minute show, but that’s as much as my sensory over load can handle. There’s a 4D theatre ready to open late August somewhere in LA. I didn’t get the details on where, but trust that I will never go there. It might be cool and fun for one movie, but I doubt people would go back for that. Maybe I’m wrong and I have no idea how the world works, but knowing how sick people are of 3D doesn’t make me confident that they would be interested in 4D. Am I alone here?

Book Review - Water For Elephants

2011-06-16T09:01:00.000-07:00

I kind of want to join the circus. Call me crazy, but I think it sounds amazing. I just recently finished reading the book Water For Elephants and it was probably one of the best books I've ever read. I have a list of favorite books and this one definitely goes on that list. I saw the preview for the movie and knew I had to read the book. I'm more of a mystery, adventure book reader, but this one was just amazing. There was adventure of course. I mean it's about a traveling circus, but it was a different kind of adventure and I just couldn't put it down. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. It will make you want to join the circus too. I haven't seen the movie yet and I'm not sure I want to. The entire time I was reading the book, I could only picture Robert Pattinson as the main character even though the book describes him as having red hair. It kind of sucked. Also, I know the movie didn't do well and that scares me a little. The book is on the best seller list so there must be something wrong with the movie, right? I'll probably see it out of curiosity at some point.

After, I finished the book, I researched all this stuff about the traveling circus during the depression. It's fascinating. To learn about all the disasters and just the history behind the whole thing. Yes, the book is kind of a love story and that might be a turn off, but that to me was just a very small part. The love story was secondary to the story of these circus workers and actors. I honestly couldn't gush more about this book. If you're unfamiliar with the story, Jacob lives with his parents and is taking his exams to become a vet when he receives news that both parents died in a car accident. Completely over taken by grief, he runs away and hops a train that happens to be a circus train. They find out he's a vet and they bring him on and the rest ensues from there. Very good story.

I might just have to join the Cirque du Soleil crew now just to feel the excitement of a modern day circus. Maybe I should start my own circus. Who wants to be the ring leader?

Surprise

2011-06-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

MTV has cancelled Skins. I’m not really surprised. I’m sure they were happy when the show got bad press because any press is good press, but I guess no one was watching it even with all the press. The show had to be aired after 10pm and then couldn’t repeat throughout the day in fear that the younger audiences would watch. When you have a show that needs to be aired that late so kids don’t watch, you probably shouldn’t have put it on the air anyway. I didn’t care much for the show. I watched a handful of episodes and could care less. Kids smoking, getting high and having sex is boring. So needless to say, I’m not too sad about this TV show loss.

The Zombies Are Coming Back!

2011-06-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

I know we still have a few months to go, but talk of the next season of The Walking Dead has got me all excited! AMC has posted 2 new photos on their website from season 2. The make-up is kind of incredible! Season 2 will air on Halloween of this year and there will be 13 episodes. I’m so excited! Last season there were only about 7 episodes so now we can watch zombies longer!

Manic Monday

2011-06-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, I watched the first 2 episodes of Teen Wolf on MTV.com and I’m not going to lie, it’s kind of good. It’s action packed of course, the filming is pretty good, and the characters are likable. The main character could use a few acting classes, but for the most part it’s entertaining. I didn’t expect it to be. I thought it was going to be awful, but I kind of want to keep watching. I’m not sure how they’re going to make the story into a full series though. Obviously, the kid needs to learn how to control changing from human to werewolf. Right now, the second his temper gets going or his heart rate is up, he turns into a wolf. So they can extend that a bit. He has a love interest so that could extend a bit, but I can only really see this lasting a few seasons before it fizzles out. I recommend taking a look. I mean there's really nothing else on TV on Monday night.

Good Friday

2011-06-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

The new Pixar short, La Luna that will be shown in connection with the new Pixar movie Brave premiered at the Annecy International Animation Festival in France on Monday night. The director was finally able to share the poster on his blog. How gorgeous! I can’t wait to see it!

The Ride

2011-06-09T08:57:00.001-07:00

I’m really excited for the new Transformers movie and not just because Paramore has a new song on the soundtrack. I think it looks really awesome. Plus, I’m kind of happy about the fact that Megan Fox will not be in it. I was never a huge Transformers fan, but I watched the first movie and was hooked. What I find even cooler is that Universal Singapore and Hollywood are making Transformer rides. The Singapore ride is due out this summer and the Hollywood ride will appear in 2012. I will definitely be riding that ride. Universal is getting better with their creative projects. For a while, they were awful and no one was caring what they were doing, but the Harry Potter land changed that.

Recently, a photo from the queue line was leaked. Universal has already mentioned that thirty minutes of story is built into the queue so guests will get a good taste of the ride before they even enter. This is why I love theme park magic. It’s very rare to find a ride where the queue line holds any attention.

Book of Jobs

2011-06-08T09:09:00.000-07:00

The Steve Jobs biography, iSteve: The Book of Jobs has started to hit Amazon for presale and it’s already a best seller. It still has 9 months to go before its release! That’s insane. The set release date is March 6, 2012. I’m glad that the cover picture is only temporary because it looks a little silly. I’m still interested in reading the book and my hopes are still high for many chapters about his Pixar days.

From bestselling author Walter Isaacson comes the landmark biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. In iSteve: The Book of Jobs, Isaacson provides an extraordinary account of Jobs’ professional and personal life.

Drawn from three years of exclusive and unprecedented interviews Isaacson has conducted with Jobs as well as extensive interviews with Jobs’ family members, key colleagues from Apple and its competitors, iSteve is the definitive portrait of the greatest innovator of his generation.

Are you going to read it?

Weekend Movie – X-Men First Class

2011-06-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

Everyone is going ape shit over the new X-Men movie. I keep seeing posts all over Facebook about it. People are either checking in to see the movie or talking about seeing it. I saw it on Saturday morning in the tiniest theatre ever, which was ridiculous considering it came out on Friday night. AMC can be a little stupid sometimes. The theatre was packed of course.

I'm not going to lie, I didn't think the movie was anything super awesome. Yes, it was entertaining and exciting, but for some reason it didn't do it for me. I still thought the movie was good, don't get me wrong, but it definitely wasn't the super awesome movie I was expecting. Also, I was so distracted by how awful Jennifer Lawrence is. The fact that she was nominated for an Academy Award and will soon play Katniss in The Hunger Games was too much for my brain. She was so awful in this movie so how the hell was she ever nominated and how the hell is she going to portray the main character in a really good book series? Part of me doesn't want to see The Hunger Game movies because of her. Maybe it's a little extreme, but I have an image of the character in my head and Jennifer Lawrence is not it.

I thought James McAvoy was freaking awesome. He always is. Although, I thought Kevin Bacon was a very weird choice. I never would have picked him. He did alright. So if you have the ability to turn your brain off and enjoy than you can see this movie, but if you're judgmental like me, maybe wait until it's $1 at the RedBox.

Weekend Movie- Kung Fu Panda 2

2011-06-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

To be honest, I saw this movie last Thursday night, but we’ll call it a weekend movie. I tried to watch the first movie right before seeing this one, but I was only able to get through the first half before my privileges were taken away by free movie viewing web sites. But what I saw, I liked. The storyline was very cute so I was excited to see the second one. I was pleasantly surprised. DreamWorks is an amazing company and they do amazing things, but sometimes they have the potential to make lousy movies. This series is not one of them. It had me laughing and feeling my heart ping all at the same time. I think what I like the most is that there is a message for everyone. The first movie is all about making your own destiny and the second one is all about taking advantage of what you have and being thankful for it. I think my favorite line from the first movie is a line the wise turtle says “the past is history and the future is a mystery, but today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present.” Amazing. That line will stick with me. So needless to say, I recommend the movie. The panda gets to kick more butt and win of course.

I watched a behind the scenes video from DreamWorks and the animators got to play with baby pandas before making the movie. I’m so jealous. I want to play with a baby panda. I loved seeing all the research they did with their visit to China. They did an amazing job with all the animation. Definitely a must see.

Good Friday

2011-06-03T09:02:00.001-07:00

MTV has posted the first 8 or so minutes of their new Teen Wolf series premiering on Sunday. The filming style is interesting, but the acting is already super over dramatic. I guess we have to wait and see how the rest of it pans out.

Teen Wolf - MTV Shows

Premieres

2011-06-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend, Disneyland and California Adventure premiered 2 big attractions. I talked about them both last week: The Little Mermaid ride and Mickey's Soundsational Parade. Of course, people filmed every moment of both. If you have a few minutes, you should definitely take a look.

Little Mermaid

Soundsational Parade

Another One Bites the Dust

2011-06-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

VS.

So the most recent Bachelor and the girl he chose on the show are already broken up and the new Bachelorette season just started and I have absolutely non desire to watch it. I mean, why watch a show where you know they’re just going to break up in a day? I watched a few seasons and it held my attention pretty well. I had hope for every couple and then to see that they all break up anyway sucks. Why is the show even on anymore? The break ups have definitely tainted the show for me. Sure it’s cool to see them go to these exotic places, but in the end, it’s all fake. Makes me kind of sad. There are only 2 couples who actually got married. One couple said there were a lot of rough patches before they got married and the other couple didn’t even end up together on the show. The Bachelor picked someone else and then realized he made a mistake. I’d rather go on match.com to find someone. I guess reality TV really is all about the fame.

Weekend Show - Glee Live

2011-05-31T08:43:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had an awesome weekend. I wish it was longer, but what can you do. My weekend was packed with entertainment. I saw Glee Live at the Staples Center on Saturday night. The show quality was just as good as their last tour and it was very fun. There were little girls in front of me who would not sit down so I had to dodge a lot to see the stage so that was annoying, but there was a little boy sitting next to us who was so in to the show and that made it better. There were definitely more solos this time around, which I found interesting. I mean it made sense because there are a lot of solos in the show, but of course the big numbers were amazing. I'm happy that they at least hold up live show quality because sometimes their TV show quality is lacking. Here are some fan videos from the Vegas show in case you missed out.

Valerie

Born This Way

Good Friday

2011-05-27T09:05:00.001-07:00

Yes! 3 days weekends are always welcome around here. I mean who doesn't love a longer weekend? Crazy people, that's who. There are so many things to be done over long weekends, including visiting Disneyland where new things are popping up everywhere! “Mickey’s Soundsational Parade” makes its debut today. The parade will kick off Disney Soundsational Summer, which will also include the openings of The Little Mermaid Ariel’s Undersea Adventure and Star Tours, along with new experiences at the Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier. Awesome! Here is the description of the new parade:

“Mickey’s Soundsational Parade” will feature Aladdin, Ariel, Peter Pan and more, all led by Mickey Mouse.

With unique rhythms and instruments, they will tell the story of Disney music as drumlines, percussion teams and jazz horns bring a new energy to each storyline. Nine newly designed float units, each telling its own musical story, will travel from Main Street, U.S.A., to “it’s a small world.” Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Chip ‘n’ Dale and Goofy get the party started with a six-member drumline, followed by characters from Disney’s classic film, “Aladdin,” including Genie as Drum Major and six cymbal dancers. From there, the parade goes “Under the Sea” with a distinctly Caribbean-style sound including steel drums and marimbas, and on to the spicy sounds of Latin America with The Three Caballeros. Next, a grand procession of Disney Princesses, including Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Snow White, is followed by Rapunzel’s tower rising overhead. Then, jungle drums sound the arrival of Simba, who is perched majestically atop Pride Rock.

Princess Tiana glides past next on a classic riverboat surrounded by Mardi Gras dancers beating tambourines in time to a New Orleans jazz beat. Adventure is waiting in Neverland as Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee are joined by Tinker Bell, who is playing a rhythm on mushrooms instead of drums. Finally, Mary Poppins and Bert bring “Mickey’s Soundsational Parade” to a close, along with chimney sweeps performing a broom dance amid the rooftops of London.

Sounds awesome. I'm never one to stop and watch the parades, but this one sounds really fun! Check it out! I hope everyone has an awesome weekend!

Wellywood

2011-05-26T08:52:00.001-07:00

You know when you watch movies such as Lord of the Rings and see beautiful hillsides and what not and later find out it was shot in New Zealand. A lot of movies have been shot in New Zealand because it’s so freaking gorgeous. I want to go just because of what I see in the movies. Well, the city of Wellington wants to create a sign just like the Hollywood sign on the hillside next to their international airport. They want it to read “Wellywood” to represent all the contribution they’ve made to Hollywood. Well, needless to say, Hollywood doesn’t find this funny and they’re seeking legal action.

We are not without a sense of humor, nor without legal rights. We hope that if the Wellington airport wants to mimic our Sign in this fashion, it will proceed in cooperation with us and will recognize that the holder of the rights to the Sign and the party responsible for its continued existence is a nonprofit entity that works hard to raise funds so that the Sign even exists to be mimicked.

Wellington hopes that this sign will be the new photo opp. Looks like New Zealand Facebook users aren’t happy about it either.

I don't think that copying another [country's] cultural sign is really doing much for our own culture. We have become so americanised lately, and it’s sad.... what happened to Kiwiana?

I don’t like the fact that they want to copy the Hollywood sign either. Sure, New Zealand has been in a lot of movies, but I don’t think that gives them the right to create a replica sign. The Hollywood sign is iconic and legendary and there’s so much history there. I feel like replicating it like this would be more of a mockery than anything else.

Summer Reading

2011-05-25T08:52:00.001-07:00

Everybody loves a little summer reading, right? I like to read year round, but the summer is when there are tables and tables of books everywhere. The LA Times even has a section dedicated to summer reading books. I was looking through it and other recommendations and I thought I would share what I found. I like the mystery adventure type books.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

Room

In many ways, Jack is a typical 5-year-old. He likes to read books, watch TV, and play games with his Ma. But Jack is different in a big way--he has lived his entire life in a single room, sharing the tiny space with only his mother and an unnerving nighttime visitor known as Old Nick. For Jack, Room is the only world he knows, but for Ma, it is a prison in which she has tried to craft a normal life for her son. When their insular world suddenly expands beyond the confines of their four walls, the consequences are piercing and extraordinary.

The Hypnotist

In the frigid clime of Tumba, Sweden, a gruesome triple homicide attracts the interest of Detective Inspector Joona Linna, who demands to investigate the murders. The killer is still at large, and there’s only one surviving witness—the boy whose family was killed before his eyes. Whoever committed the crimes wanted this boy to die: he’s suffered more than one hundred knife wounds and lapsed into a state of shock. Desperate for information, Linna sees only one option: hypnotism. He enlists Dr. Erik Maria Bark to mesmerize the boy, hoping to discover the killer through his eyes.

The Snowman

On the first day of snow, a child wakes up to find his mother has disappeared during the night. Outside, a snowman has appeared out of nowhere, the calling card of one of the most terrifying serial killers in recent fiction. A letter from the perpetrator draws Detective Hole further and further into the case, and together with his new partner, Katrine Bratt, he hunts the Snowman through twists and turns that become increasingly personal and may drive Hole to the brink of insanity. Brilliantly crafted, this credible and dark page-turner fully fleshes out the characters, especially Hole, a hardened detective with sharp instincts and real heart. What is the link between the victims? Is the Snowman a suspicious doctor, a notorious playboy, or one of Hole's peers on the force? The police keep thinking they've caught the criminal, but Hole's astute observations may steer him around the red herrings and right into the hands of the cold-as-ice killer.

100 Years of Sinking

2011-05-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

Oy vey. So the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic is next year and that means a lot of Titanic action coming from Hollywood including the re-release of the 3 hour James Cameron movie in 3D. Yup. 3 freaking D. I don’t know the point of this. I mean they could probably just have released the movie again and left it at that. Making the movie 3D seems very ridiculous in my mind. Didn’t they make enough money off of it the first time around? The movie will be re-released April 6, 2012. I stayed away from the theatres the first time around and I will do it again. I have no desire. I know how the story ends. The British TV channel, ITV1 will also release a mini series showing the events of the night. How many more ways can we interpret what happened on a sinking ship? It’s cool that we all want to celebrate the 100th anniversary, but this is a little much don’t you think?

Weekend Movies and Show - Thor, Bridesmaids and God of Carnage

2011-05-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a little jam packed with entertainment, which was a very nice change of pace. My boss gave everyone in our office movie passes for making him look good and he told us to go to the movies during our work time so on Friday, his assistant and I went to see Thor. It was totally not what I expected. I thought it was going to be a total war movie, but it wasn't at all. I mean there was fighting and what not, but not all out war. Basically, there is Thor in his world and he does something bad to get him banished by his father to Earth. There he meets Natalie Portman and her friends and his goal is to get back to his home. Other stuff ensues, but that would just ruin the movie. Natalie Portman has been searching for other life forms her whole life and then this guy comes along and proves her theories right and they fall in love blah blah. There were some very cheesy parts to the movie, but it was entertaining. If you're looking for mind numbing fun, this might be a good movie. I think Natalie Portman needs to pick it back up though. She was in an awesome award winning role and then does stupid movies like Thor.

On Saturday night I saw Bridesmaids because I kept hearing how awesome it was. People get saying it was the female version of The Hangover. I disagree completely. The Hangover was funny and had me laughing a lot, but Bridesmaids just made me sad. People around me were dying of laughter and I was just sad. The stuff that happened in the movie was sad. The main character was losing her best friend and destroying her happy moments and it just wasn't funny. Obviously, everything turns out good in the end. It definitely had me laughing at some points, but for the most part it made me feel bad for the characters. It's not necessarily a chick flick so if you're interested, you should see it.

Finally, last night I saw God of Carnage at the Ahmanson with my mom. I wanted to see it so badly because of Marcia Gay Harden and Jeff Daniels and of course they were both amazing. It's about these 2 couples coming together to discuss the fact that one kid hit the other kid with a stick and knocked 2 teeth out. The rest of the drama ensues from there. The set was destroyed by the end of the show. It had me laughing quite a bit. All the actors were from the original Broadway show and they won some awards so it was an awesome privilege to see them.

Good Friday

2011-05-20T09:16:00.001-07:00

I read BBC.com and LATimes.com every day to try and keep up with the insanity happening in the world. Yesterday, one of the headlines on BBC read “US man beats record with 25,000th Big Mac” and of course I needed to click on that article to find out what the hell it meant. A retired prison guard, Mr Gorske has eaten 25,000 Big Macs! McDonald’s even had a ceremony for him in his home town of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He said he would eat Big Macs until he dies. This is insane. I mean I used to eat Big Macs every once in a while because I had a craving for a burger, but I always regretted it. No one needs that much hamburger. This guy was even in the documentary Super Size Me, which I really liked. If you haven’t seen it you should. It doesn’t make McDonald’s food look gross so no worries there it just shows the effect it can have on the body. Well, this guy is thin and his cholesterol is said to be low. I have a very hard time believing that! Anyway, Mr Gorske says he eats a Big Mac in 16 bites and keeps track of his consumption on calendars. Every week he buys six on Monday and eight on Thursday and keeps them in his fridge or freezer until he is ready to eat them. He said his wife told him the end will come when she has to put them in a blender. Seriously sick. This guy is insane. Obviously, his doctors don’t like what he’s doing, but I’m sure that won’t stop him anytime soon. Please don’t eat McDonald’s this weekend. I feel sick thinking about it.

Hoooowwwwwllllll

2011-05-19T09:02:00.001-07:00

Barf. The MTV promos for Teen Wolf are here and they look awful. At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the news of this show. I never saw the original movie, but MTV tends to ruin things. I still watch their shows and rot my brain, but sometimes they rot brains a little too much. The promos tell me this is going to be another one of their bad shows. I mean look at the promo photo. Even the synopsis sounds super cheesy:

Scott was just a regular guy until one bite changed his life forever.

Now he struggles to understand who he is and what he might become. Is he more wolf than human - or is it the other way around? Whichever it is, it's not going to be easy. Scott will try to control his urges, but mostly he's scared that it's his urges that could end up controlling him.

TEEN WOLF is the story of Scott as he tries to walk the line between what he wants and what he can't help from wanting. Will the bite end up being a gift? Or will it be a curse? And what will it all mean for his relationship with Allison - the girl he can't get enough of? Only time will tell if he should embrace his newfound powers, or if he should fear them.

It just sounds so over dramatic. I feel like MTV could either have made this show super awesome or super bad and it looks like the latter. I will check out the first episode because every show deserves a chance so I guess we just have to wait and see. The first episode airs on June 5. I will definitely have a review for this one. My fingers are crossed that the promos and synopsis just don’t do it justice, but I go in expecting nothing.

New Line-Up

2011-05-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

It’s about that time again where shows get canceled and new shows come in and take their place. I usually watch the new ones to give them a chance and I find it very rare to come across one that really really makes me want to tune in. It’s very rare to find a show that really keeps your attention. But I think I have found 2 news shows in the fall line-up that look pretty awesome. The first is funny and cute and the second kind of had my mouth on the floor.

Normally I don’t like Zooey Deschanel, but her new show, New Girl looks very very cute and I totally want to watch it right now. I kind of wish it was a movie. It will be airing on Fox in the fall.

Of course, whatever Steven Spielberg produces is amazing and whenever Katharine McPhee opens her mouth to sing you can’t help but listen so I have no doubt this show will be amazing. It’s called Smash and it will air after The Voice on NBC.

Things Are A Changin’!

2011-05-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

California Adventure is changing and I can’t wait to see the finished product! When I was at the Pirates premiere, I could see the changes they’ve made already to the front entrance and I think it’s going to look amazing. It’s going to look something like this; minus all the cars and lights of course:

When it’s all done, I might need to spend some good quality time there looking at every little thing. The first thing to kick off the new park is the Little Mermaid ride opening in June. Here are some awesome stills from the ride as well as a video interview with the Imagineers. Get your tickets, cause we’re going!

Manic Monday

2011-05-16T08:47:00.001-07:00

Happy Monday to everyone! Sorry there wasn't a blog on Friday. The site was down and I didn't have the time to keep checking it throughout the day to see if it was up and running again. I hear it erased some people's posts as well. Looks like all of mine are intact.

Yesterday was an incredibly lazy day and there wasn't much on TV, but while I was surfing, I found Monsters Inc. Of course I stopped and had to watch it. I almost forgot how good the movie is. How clever everything is and how much I miss Disneyland. The Monsters Inc ride is very cute. I talked about the Pixar prequel a little bit and Pixar has released an official synopsis for the new movie as well as a color logo. I was only able to find the logo in black and white before. Here is the synopsis, which matches the rumors:

Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan are an inseparable pair, but that wasn’t always the case. From the moment these two mismatched monsters met they couldn't stand each other. Monsters University unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends.

I bet it's going to be a very heart warming story. I mean the relationship between Boo and Sully is just too cute in the first one. I'm looking forward to this. Looks like the release date will be June 2013. That's too far!