Live-blogging 10 Things I Hate About You the TV Series!

I have secret love of ABC Family original series. I usually end up watching the first seasons of them for masochistic reasons. The new one is based off the movie 10 Things I Hate About You. What a terrible idea. Of course that means I'm watching it. And of course that means I'm sharing my pain with you:

9:00 - The same dad as the movie. Poor Larry, reduced to a mere shadow of the hilarity he brought to the movie. And of course he's on the phone in the middle of a woman's labor.

9:01 - Shakespeare name drop! 'Cause it's based on that one play he wrote that one time.

9:02 - Kat drives a Volvo, so far the best thing about this series. I drove a Volvo in high school. It was old and awesome.

9:03 - Um, apparently the sisters are the ones new to the school and not Cameron. And Cameron is now a Tedding-out idiot. Also, he's not Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Fail.

9:04 - Ooo! Fiery sexual tension between Kat and the guy I'm assuming will take over Heath Ledger's role. Mostly involving glaring at each other.

9:08 - Harry Potter references. Along with every other innocuous pop culture reference under the sun. Oh dear, they're trying to be relevant.

9:10 - Yep, glaring dude is Patrick. He's certainly hotter than Heath Ledger--well, at least has better hair than Heath in the movie. And um, I think they just made an impromptu staring contest a plot point.

9:12 - Text messaging plot point!!

9:13 - New Chastity proves that she's no Gabrielle Union when she Bring it On-captains at the cheerleading try-outs.

Commercial break thought: Is anyone else upset that Christian Coulson isn't coming back as Tom Riddle for the new Harry Potter movie? Is it weird I know his name off the top of my head?

9:17 - Maybe movie-Bianca already had my love thanks to being Alex Mack, but seriously, new-Bianca is the dumbest character possible.

9:18 - Ha! Driving Miss Daisy reference. That was good. Way to go Kat.

9:20 - Non-alcoholic beer keg. This is no Freaks and Geeks.

9:21 - Calling Patrick Hannibal Lector? That one didn't even make sense in this context. I revoke my impressed card from Kat.

9:21 - Kat and Patrick totally just had a moment. I know because a piano melody of 2 notes started playing.

9:23 - "You're really smiling with your eyes." lolz.

Commercial break thought: Dude, the guy who plays Cameron is super tall. I just thought every one else around him was short, but his IMDb fun fact page informed me that Nicholas Braun is 6' 6''. Oh, and his nickname is Nick. Who knew?

9:28 - "Dead mom card." Making light of death is always a good thing.

9:29 - Elphaba! Ha!

9:30 - Bianca is terrible at putting things in her locker, namely her Peguin mascot head. Turn it sideways, idiot.

9:31 - Here's the French tutor tie-in!

9:31 - Oh, new-Patrick rides a motorcycle. That's how you know he's bad.

Commercial break thought: U2 is offering a public service announcement? Um, for Blackberry? I couldn't hate Bono more.

Oh, apparently it's over. And a sitcom. Hmm. Much like new Pride & Prejudice, this contains many of the same plot points as the original source, but stripped of any humor or likable characters. Except maybe Patrick. That kid can glare.

Patrick Verona (Ethan Peck) wears a leather jacket. That's how you know he's bad.

The Audacity of Rock: Part 18

I'll sing your song, but I'm not going to work too hard at it.

This edition is the antithesis of last week's edition. Today we feature the more preferable low end of the vocal range, with specific focus on male voices. Anyone who was ever in high school choir knows that the cool people are the altos and basses. So it would only seem to make sense that low singers are the best in rock and roll. That's debatable, because low singing men make things really hard to sing along to, not to mention their rarity. I'd probably hang with them, though.

"I'm Your Man" by Leonard Cohen (1988)

Leonard Cohen is one of those mythical guys that's lauded as great but still manages to be underground. There's probably a reason he's still underground, and that's because most of his songs are underwhelmingly tuneless and boring, set to a permanently slow tempo with a heavy streak of dated synthesizer. Let's just say I like the idea of Leonard Cohen more than I actually like him. The one great thing about him, however, is his lovely low voice (which I think comes out more in the later years of his career along with the synth). Really, the voice is the only thing that can make me listen to more than a minute of one of his songs. Here's one of his more charming songs. Enjoy the glacial pace of the lyrics:



"Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by Crash Test Dummies (1993)

This song got unbelievable airplay for how quirky it was, although it's a pretty well written song. I think the big reason this song really caught on because of the novelty of ridiculously low vocals in a radio friendly song. Can you really resist that?

Crash Test Dummies |MTV Music

"Take These Thoughts" by Chris and Thomas (2007)

There are so many things about Chris and Thomas to love: the bluegrass/folk inspiration, slide guitars and mandolins, a discernable melody, male vocal harmonies. The cherry on top: one of the harmonies is awesomely low. Maybe not Leonard Cohen low, but nice and relaxed. Proof that a low range doesn't have to be weird, here's "Take These Thoughts":




Questions to ponder:

1. Why aren't low vocals more prevelant in pop/rock music?
2. Was I only 6 when "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" came out? I remember this song distinctly, but it's not like you ever hear it today. Um, I guess that's a question for me to ponder.

The Brothers Bloom

The Brothers Bloom is about conman brothers Stephen and Bloom, their partner Bang Bang, and the girl, Penelope, who gets caught up in their last great con.

Assessment: loved it. I have a thing for well done quirk. Here are some thoughts:

1. Mark Ruffalo and Rachel Weisz in the same movie! Actor/tress crush alert! And Adrien Brody! And I'm now officially in love with Rinko Kikuchi in her mostly silent role as the explosives expert to the brothers. But seriously, every one shines in this movie with the material they're given. No one is less than charming, and everyone gets some very funny moments.

In this case, Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) is doing most of the charming work, while Bloom (Adrien Brody) gets serious about quitting the conning biz. Also, hats.

2. Fun soundtrack by Nathan Johnson that combines ragtime with the occasional electric guitar or organ and the occasional outburst of Middle Easternish melody. It kept things sexy (in an innocent sort of way), light, and olde tyme feeling, not to mention magical.

3. Very deliberate set designs and costuming that make sense in the the film's world of contrived conning situations. Plus, it doesn't overshadow the emotion of the scenes. It's like Wes Anderson, except I care*.

The color schemes are pretty muted, mostly consisting of white and black with the occasional splash of color. Love Rinko's suit in this scene. Also, shuffle board.

4. The Brothers Bloom manages to be entertaining the whole way through with moments that suprised me. It's a pretty straight forward film, but I got so caught up in it I was still anticipating what happens next.

5. Whimsical. Delightful. Also, funny. But mostly whimsical.

Did I mention adorable? Look at that budding relationship between Penelope (Rachel Weisz) and Bloom. Also, their outfits match (hard to see, but his vest and tie are the same green as her sweater).

6. The writer/director Rian Johnson: I'm going to keep an eye out for this guy. I like his style, first in Brick and now The Brothers Bloom.

7. See it if you can. By some fluke it came to the dollar theater in my town. It's worth seeking out.


*This comment is mostly aimed at The Life Aquatic which is like an explosion of pretty things set to a terrible/slow story about unlikable people. On the other hand, I really like The Royal Tenenbaums.

A Bunch of Quick Book Reviews

It's summertime, which means the time when I actually get to read for fun (you know, besides watching TV). Sometimes I forget that I like to read, but since my job is so boring this summer, I've gotten to back into the swing of it. Here are the books I've actually managed to finish so far this summer:

1. Hottentot Venus by Barbara Chase-Riboud -- This is about Sarah Baartman, otherwise known as the Hottentot Venus. Kind of in the vein of Roots, this book follows Saartjie from her home in South Africa, where much of her family is killed and she is enslaved and set free by a kind Dutch preacher, to Europe, where she becomes a sensation in the 19th Century thanks to her exotic body, and eventually to Musée de l'Homme where her skeleton, brain, and genitals (adjusted in typical Khoisan custom) were on display for over a century. It was more of a dramatized history as opposed to a compelling story. I think it's an important story, but it took a lot of effort to finish toward the end, when alcoholism and the horrors of being on display in freak shows catches up with Sarah. Overall, fairly interesting book, but hard to get through.


2. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskill. After my epic miniseries day, I decided I wanted to read North and South, and I was not disappointed. Filled with delicious inner thoughts of both Margaret and Mr. Thornton, it was also filled with the right amount of 19th Century cheese and a heavy streak of social awareness. The only negative thing I can say about it is that I hate reading "accents." My copy luckily had a small dictionary in the back that helped with some of the words and phrases, but the rampant use of apostrophes to show the northern accents was impossible to understand and I ended up skimming sections heavy with them. But seriously, it's like a less frivolous Pride and Prejudice, meaning it was pretty awesome.


3. My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme. The only way I can describe this book is delightful. It covers all of Julia Child's life, but spends most of the time of the first several years of her marriage to Paul Child when they lived in France. Everything from her growing passion for cooking, her tenacity in studying French cuisine, and her frustrations with certain people she had to deal with has an air of youth even though this was written in the last years of Julia's very long life. I'm convinced I would love to friends with Julia Child. Endlessly positive, she found something she loved to do and had a long marriage to what seems to be her best friend. But possibly my favorite moments in this memoir are when she describes her tenuous relationship with her dad. I guess I just found it amusing that even as an adult, she still struggled with her parents. It was kind of refreshing to read about someone so positive, who loved life, and was willing to share how she still had a lot to figure out about life even as she got older.

4. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Obviously, I was on a "books that are soon going to be movies" kick (My Life in France is incorporated into Julie & Julia), but I loved this book as well. And yet again, it was a book that involves a loving long term relationship/marriage. This book could have been overwhelmingly gimmicky, but it focused on genuinely developing a relationship. Each section gives the year and how old Henry and Clare are as a heading, making what could have become convoluted easy to catch onto. The narrative is told in the first person from Henry or Clare, which is also clearly labeled. This is just to say, I really like the structure of the book, as it skips around time, although mostly chronological from Clare's lifeline since Henry's is all over the place thanks to his involuntary time travel. I grew to really become invested in these characters. They're full of life, and getting a first-person perspective from these two characters gave a well-rounded view the relationship. At the end of the the book, I was as close as I've ever been to crying at a novel (the count so far is zero--I'm not a book crier). It's an experience. Read it.

5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I just finished this book today after a day and a half of marathon reading. It's a young adult book, so it's a quick read, but it's also really interesting. Set in a future dystopic world where North America becomes a 12 district state run by a ruthless and decadent Capitol, the government sets up annual Hunger Games that reminds the population of the dark time before it took control and also reminds the population of who's in control. The Hunger Games involve lottery chosen Tributes, one boy and one girl ages 12-18, from each district to participate in in the Games. The Games don't end until there is one Tribute alive. Our protagonist is Katniss, a 16-year-old girl who acts as head of her family by hunting on the sly. The story is told from her perspective as she replaces her sister in the Games by volunteering, goes through training, and tries to survive in the deadly Hunger Games. The biggest challenge for her, however, seems to be how to relate to the male Tribute from her district, Peeta. The most intriguing thing for me about the book was how it was entirely feasible. The Games are required viewing for the whole state, so it's like a really sick reality show. The more compelling Tributes are given more screentime, therefore they get more sponsorships, and that gives them more help during the Games. The Tributes can either be actually compelling, or by device, much like most reality shows today. And each detail of the world, which could have been heavy-handed exposition, I found to be really interesting, which r(eminded me of how absorbed I was in the futuristic Ender's Game world. I would by far give a teenage girl a copy of this book over any in the Twilight series. The characters actually have personality/redeemable qualities/actually do something/develop relationships, and Katniss kind of rocks. I only wish that the next two books in the series were already out.

Happy Birthday, America

I'll be celebrating my Fourth of July by covering 2 shifts! What's a better way to express my patriotism by working retail which every day proves the economic downturn?

At least I bought some sparklers to express myself the true American way: with pyrotechnics.

So, for the awesome in your holiday, here's Johnny Cash reciting "I Am the Nation":



And here's my personal favorite song that includes the word "America" a lot as performed by the lovely and talented Hugh Laurie on A Bit of Fry and Laurie. Also, Stephen Fry makes an appearance:



Go barbecue or blow something up tomorrow.

Taxi Driver

In pursuit of understanding why Martin Scorsese is a great director, I rented one of his classics, Taxi Driver (1976), and I think I get his legacy now.

One of the beautiful things about Taxi Driver, and the thing that stuck with me after I finished watching it, was how subtle and ambiguous it was. We don't really know the main character Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) that well and are given scraps to piece together. Things we learn about him in the film: he went to Vietnam as a marine, he's having trouble sleeping, he watches hard core films in his spare time, he works long hours at nights in the trashiest neighborhoods of New York (despite his hatred for them), and his only friends--if you can call them that--are other Taxi Drivers. We also see his inability to not be off-putting to both women and men; he's hopelessly awkward in the creepiest way. He also writes down his thoughts in a well written and honest journal. Throughout this, the camera, not to mention De Niro's listless inattention, effectively isolates Travis from his surrounding environment. From this we can create our own character from what these actions imply: 1) Travis is probably screwed up from the war, 2) he's probably extremely lonely, and 3) he wants to do something good for the world/somebody.

Unfortunately, his attempts at doing something good end are unsolicited and somewhat terrifying.His journal entries, read effectively in a conversational sort of dictation by De Niro, hint at things deeply felt and unsatisfied. The narration is the eeriest part of the film, and I couldn't help thinking that Travis was the basis for Watchmen's Rorschach, the character also expressing through a journal a loathing for the rotting city and a capacity for violence.

And when that violence plays out, it's haunting. Like other Scorsese films I've seen, the violence is given full screen time, with no hiding. In this case, the violence is bloody and sloppy.By the end of it, we see a birds-eye-view of the scene that almost lovingly goes over each body, each bullet wound. I'm never sure how Scorsese feels about violence--whether or not he condones it, because he never seems to outright condemn it--and this film is no exception. Although for me, Taxi Driver is at least disturbing in idea, if not emotion toward the violence.

Travis trying out his gunslinging contraptions.

However, I was excited by a few of the roles. Cybill Shepherd as Betsy was able to play a professional campaigner who is self-assured which is refreshing seeing as how I haven't been too please with some of the female roles in Marty's movies. Betsy knows what she will and will not take. When she decides she doesn't want to see Travis anymore, she doesn't. Also, Albert Brooks as Tom also makes an appearance as a fellow campaigner with Betsy. It was one of those pleasing cinematic moments when a comedic actor does well within the context of a very dark and serious drama. And while I'd heard a lot about Jodi Foster in this film, she's more like a placeholder, another example of Travis' inability of really helping people. His solutions are in violence, and that, obviously, isn't always the answer.

By the end of the film, we see that Travis is lauded as a hero. It seems only the film's audience who was privy to his journals and private acts know that it probably wasn't just heroism that motivated his actions; something is terribly wrong with him, but we don't know what. We end up asking, what happens if he reaches that breaking point again?