Stada Baba...Now With EVEN More Betty White!

I meant to write about this a while ago, but never got around to it. One day, while surfing the interwebs and my favorite blogs, I came across an ad for the the DVD release of You Again. You may ask me "What the Hell is You Again?". To which I would reply: "Oh, that dumb-looking movie about a girl whose brother marries her high-school rival. I'm pretty sure nobody saw it".

It starred Kristen Bell, who I assume people must like because she keeps getting cast in movies, but I must confess that my world wouldn't be any different if she weren't in it. Also in the cast were Jamie Lee Curtis and Sigourney Weaver. From the trailers I know that Sigourney and her niece terrorized JLC and Kristen Bell's characters back in High School. Now there is a wedding to get ready for and these women can't be civil. There are incidents of accidental identical dresses, people get thrown into pools, and Betty White quips about being on Facebook and "The Twitter".

The thing of it is, that this ad I saw for the DVD didn't have a picture of Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, or the girl who played the High School Bully, it just had Betty White. Apparently, in order to sell this movie, some marketing geniuses got the big idea to pump up the volume by adding outtakes, bloopers, and deleted scenes with "More Betty White".

I won't deny that I have enjoyed the career of Betty White and her recent renewed popularity. After Sophia, Rose Nyland was my favorite Golden Girl. Betty was pretty much the only spark of bearability in The Proposal, so I imagine the same is true for You Again.

So, as promised, more Betty White!

Skins

Netflix has the British Teen Drama Skins available to watch instantly. As this is the show where Kaya Scodelario (one of the names I've heard most for Katniss) first started impressing people, I thought I'd give it a go. It is entertaining, though it isn't very believable. The show does a pretty good job of making you care about the characters who are generally very flawed.

In the first season, she has maybe 10 lines, and only appears in 3 episodes, I think. She plays Effie, the little sister of one of the main characters, Tony. I haven't gotten past season 1, so I think she must play a larger role in upcoming seasons.

That's not what this is really about. What it is really about is the kid who plays Tony. His name is Nicholas Hoult, and you may remember him as the weird kid in About a Boy. At that point he looked like this:

He was gawky and weird, but pretty good in the movie.

Now, however, he looks like this:

I'm thinking Gale. He's about 21 years old now, 6'2" and strikingly, if not conventionally, good looking. He has popped up in a few other movies in the last couple of years. I saw him in them (Clash of the Titans, A Single Man) and totally didn't recognize him as the boy. I also didn't realize it was the same person in each of those movies, but every time, I did think he was good.

Do it for the children

Season 3 of RuPaul's Drag Race began on Monday. I know that only a couple of you watch it, but I just can't contain my excitement. I am watching it online, which means that I have to wait until Tuesday each week. This pains me, but I gotta do what I gotta do.

I am going to make it my mission to convert everyone into a RPDR believer.

Reasons to watch RPDR:

1. Religious Sensitivity

One queen (Mimi Imfurst) broke down during the first elimination challenge because she couldn't sew. When her look (a sequined take on Mary at the nativity) was actually praised, she broke down once again.

2. Vocabulary Lessons

I bet you didn't know "mop" means to steal (unless you have seen Paris is Burning, or are a Drag Queen yourself).

3. Anatomy

No amount of blurring can hide Carmen Carrera's assets.

4. Camp, Comedy, and Pathos

While "lip-synching for their lives" to a Vanessa Williams song, two queens drop their wigs and literally duke it out on stage.

If you do one thing for yourself this week, watch Drag Race.

Baby Yoanna

My friend from college just had a baby last week and I'm pretty excited about it. Baby Yoanna is the first baby to be born to any of my closest group of friends from PSU. In honor of her birth, I wanted to continue my tradition of knitting a gift. I made a yellow blanket for my cousin's baby, and I posted about the striped blanket I made for a friend at work.

This time around I wanted to expand my repetoir (I can't find this word in spell-check, so it may be misspelled). I love the idea of little pea-pods for babies as I've heard that they like to feel like they are back in the womb. I guess this is why people swaddle babies so tight. I think I found the perfect pattern.

I couldn't find the right size yarn, so I had to double up the chunky I could find. It is 100% pure merino wool and I can tell it is very soft and warm. I don't know if you'll be able to tell in the pictures, but it is a really pretty pink/red combo. I made a little matching headband that will probably not fit, but I had some extra yarn.

Here is what it will look like with a baby inside (no, I do not think my giant container of Purell wipes is a baby, but it was the best I could do).

I really hope she fits in it. As you may be able to tell, my concept of the actual size of a newborn is questionable at best. I did my best to follow the directions, so I'll just have to trust the pattern. If it doesn't work, I have a back up plan:

Sure, it makes the wearer look like a garden gnome, but I had it on for only a minute and my ears were nice and toasty!

Start Your Engines!

It's time, once again, to put your stiletto to the metal for Ru Paul's Drag Race! It will be airing on Mondays on Logo. I don't get Logo, but they post all the episodes on the logotv.com website. They also post the behind-the-scenes show, Untucked.

To get you prepared a Drag Race Primer:

Drag Queen: "A gay man who has far too much style for one gender" -Noxzeema Jackson

Shade: aspersions cast upon another, often regarding target's appearance, best when both true and funny. Also known as "reading".

Example:

Work: Has nothing to do with the traditional connotation of the word. Generally involves walking, giving face, and posing to the death. One is commanded to "Work!" when one is already looking fierce.

This season's contestants are posted on the website now, with bios and pictures.

I don't know who will be my favorite this year, maybe Mimi Imfurst (she seems funny) or Raja (one of the makeup-artists from ANTM). One thing I do know is that I'm going to love every minute of it!

Fantasy Casting: Katniss!

Our final bit of casting is probably the most important role in the whole shebang. I can't imagine a situation in which the filmmakers wouldn't cast Katniss first. The girl they pick to play her will probably determine a lot of the other roles as well.

Unfortunately I have not been able to stay away from predictions for the part of Katniss. It seems like pretty much every girl with dark hair (and some without) who is between the ages of 13 and 25 has been suggested for this role! You can't look at a red-carpet picture of a girl without someone saying "is it Katniss?"

I find this pretty funny but also interesting. Some people with suggest an actress solely because of her appearance, with no idea how good of an actress she is. Others will want someone who is a good actress, despite her appearance. (Dakota Fanning, REALLY?). I have decided to only put forward one name (I had a couple of others lined up) and if I get any other suggestions, I will write about them and put them up with a link to their imdb page. Sound good?

My pick for Katniss is Hailee Steinfeld. She just blew me away in True Grit. She was sharp, tough, and took herself very seriously (a bit like Katniss might). There is one scene, near the beginning of the movie, where she is bargaining with a businessman to sell back the horses her father had bought. The dialogue was amazing, but with a less believable actress it could have sounded a bit Dawson's Creek.

While she is not an "unknown" as many fans are wishing, she has proven herself to be able to hold her own on screen with the likes of Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon. I know she is only 14 now, but by the time they start filming, she should be very close to 16.

Your suggestions:

Elizabeth Gillies, age 17

Kaya Scodelario, age 19 (she was one of my original picks, but I haven't really seen her in anything)

Fantasy Casting: Everyone Else (Except Katniss)

I feel like saving Katniss for last and doing her post tomorrow. Today I'll talk about some of the other characters, and when I have ideas about who could play them, I'll let you know!

Caesar Flickerman is the host of the Hunger Games and manages to build a rapport with each of the contestants, putting them a ease, despite the fact that the next day they are all going to try to kill each other. He changes his appearance each year, matching his hair to his suit in all the colors of the spectrum.

I imagine him to be very charismatic and probably gay. Alan Cumming is my pick.

Katniss and Prim's mother comes from the wealthier class of District 12. She was the daughter of the pharmacist and even though she now lives in the Seam with the miners, she still practices her healing on residents. It is said that Prim takes after her in appearance and healing ability. She should be fair and thin and maybe look comparatively weak next to Katniss. It should only be when someone needs her knowledge and skill that she takes matters into her own hands.

At 32, Sarah Polly is a bit young for the role, but she's a really good actress and not over-exposed.

So, are there any other character you think we should cast? Cinna? Greasy Sae? Gale?

Fantasy Casting: Rue

Probably the most beloved character in all the books, Rue was the 12 year old tribute from District 11. She is described as small and bird-like, with dark skin and eyes. Her alliance with Katniss was short-lived but memorable.

Another pivotal role that will be extremely important to cast correctly. I scoured IMDB for suitable options, but never having seen any of the actresses in roles, I had a hard time. I tried to focus more on being small, adorable, and able to sing. There were quite a few cuties who came up, but one candidate came to me as an epiphany before I went to bed last night.

Do you know who this is?

It's RUE!!!

Willow Smith! It would be genius. She is just 11 years old now, is cute as can be, AND can sing (at least I assume so since she is starting a music career). I saw her in Kit Kittridge:An American Girl, when she played a girl playing a boy.

I'm sure whoever they actually get will be great, I think the director seems to take the relationship between Katniss and Rue very seriously based on his interview in EW this week.

Thoughts?

Fantasy Casting: Peeta

So I'm really enjoying this series of blogs...I hope you are too! I love seeing where our imaginations are in sync (Prim) and where they differ (Effie, Haymitch). It is such a personal thing, to read a book, and at the same time we all share it. Then we are excited when we hear it is to be made into a movie, but we are at the mercy of the director, casting agent, etc. I think its fun to pretend we have some power!

For today, another favorite character, Peeta Mallark. He is supposed to be 16 years old, like Katniss, but fair like Prim. The son of a baker, he is more well-fed than most of the other children in district 12. Most importantly, he must be able to lift heavy bags of flour! Just kidding, he needs to be believably well-spoken, naturally humorous, and exceedingly likable. I have two candidates (and I have chosen appropriately beefcake photos):

Gentlemen, start your engines!

I have only recently come across Hunter Parrish in watching Weeds. He is funny and, as you can see, really cute. He is 23, but despite my affinity for ABC family and the Disney Channel, my knowledge of young, blond, actors is pretty limited. I am not generally in favor of casting actors so much older, but he does have a very boyish look. Also, I won't feel quite so guilty ogling him!

Same goes for Chord Overstreet, he is 21 and very entertaining on Glee. Clearly, the boy can lift a couple bags of flour and I'm sure he can decorate one hell of a cake!

I do prefer Hunter, but I am really interested in what everyone else thinks. This one is a toughie because he has to be so many things.

What do you think?

Prescient, but is it too soon?

In the aftermath of the tragedy in Arizona, there has been much debate over the culpability of political pundits and politicians and their use of vitriolic rhetoric. Do people like Sarah Palin have a responsibility to temper her words and imagery on the chance that someone might "target" one of her "targets"?

I, for one, believe that these messages should bear some of the responsibility. Claiming that this was the act of a lone man seems dangerously naive. Maybe he wasn't influenced by Beck or Palin or others of their ilk, but that doesn't change the miasma of violence and hate created by such inflammatory speech. Even if he wasn't influenced by them or some left-wing extremist (as some have claimed), this tragedy should still cause reflection and a re-evaluation by politicians and talking heads about how they present their message. Despite Palin's denial of having any responsibility, she did immediately take down her map with targets (her aide called them surveyor's symbols) over congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford's district.

I know everyone has voiced opinions about this terrible event. I am only adding my comments because of the episode of V that I just watched. It is a hallmark of good science-fiction to hold a mirror up to society in an attempt to expose faults. I'm sure the initial intent for V was to do just that. I had no idea it would be so accurate.

For those of you who have not seen the show, it is about a small group of people who believe that the aliens who have arrived on earth are dangerous. These people are working to foil the aliens's plans. One of the humans is a priest who has been using his sermons to warn other people about the dangers of the aliens.

He likened the struggle against the aliens to a war, and that everyone in the congregation must be a soldier. He was amazed and felt extremely guilty when one of his parishioners became a suicide bomber. My guess is that Fr. Jack will definitely be amending his sermons in the future.

I'm sure it was just an amazing coincidence that this episode aired less than a week after the shooting, but I'm a little surprised that they showed it. I really wonder what the reaction will be among viewers. What a shame that we live in a world that so closely mirrors a science-fiction TV show.

Fantasy Casting: Effie

Not a character that I particularly like, Effie is still pretty important to the story. She is our first real glimpse of what someone from the Capitol looks and acts like. We don't have much of a description of her, and what we do get revolves around her various wigs. She is seen as being at best a bit silly and at worst capitalizing on the slaughter of children. She really does her best for her job, and can't really understand why anyone might resent that.

My vision for Effie has always been a naturally blond and fair woman in her late twenties or early thirties. I guess that is really up for debate, she could be any race or ethnicity and we never see her real hair color. The most important thing is that she is always trying to appear upbeat.

"Ladies first!"

Reese Witherspoon is probably my first choice. She has great comedic abilities and is almost the definition of perky. If she brought a little Elle Woods to the role, I think she could pull it off like a charm. Reese is 34.

I didn't think of Rachel McAdams on my own, I heard or read her name somewhere in relation to the part. She could do it and has worked with Robert Downey Jr. in the past. I think she's a good actress, but she has never really jumped out at me in anything. She is 32 years old.

Not originally on my list, but an intriguing thought, is Kristin Chenoweth. She is best known for her guest role on Glee, and her turn as Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked. Although a bit older than the other two contenders (she's 42), her voice might be just the ticket to convey that peculiar Capitol way of talking. I saw her listed in an Entertainment Weekly article as the favorite choice in a poll.

Fantasy Casting: Haymitch

Haymitch Abernathy is one of my favorite characters of the series. He is described as middle-aged, paunchy, and is almost always drunk. He was once sturdy and handsome (24 years ago when he won his Hunger Games). This is a delicate part, because the actor has to be (like Katniss) both very flawed and somehow endearing. To pull this off, I think it would be best to get a more established actor who has played a wide variety of roles. I think my two top choices would be very suitable.

Johnny Depp. Well, what can I say? At 47, he is just 7 years older than Haymitch would be (and with Haymitch's lifestyle, he should probably look closer to 50 than 40). Aside from that, the man can act. About 90% (or more) of the characters he has played are seriously flawed individuals, almost no classic leading man roles, and yet he is one of the most popular actors working today.

Robert Downey Jr. is right up there with Johnny. He is 45 years old and has had a career every bit a varied as Mr. Depp. He struggled for years with his own demons, and it wasn't until about 2008, when Iron Man came out, that really got noticed as a blockbuster-caliber actor. I've loved him since Heart and Souls and Only You.

For me, this one is really a toss-up. These guys are two of my all-time favorites. Both have great comedic abilities, but have also done plenty of dramatic roles. Neither one has ever seemed to have a problem with allowing himself to play a supporting role, nor do they shy away from parts that require them to behave badly and look terrible (in fact, I think they may prefer it).

What say you? Am I right on, or way off?

Fantasy Casting

The Hunger Games trilogy has been featured a couple of times on this blog. I have personally persuaded at least 4 people to read it, and each of them has really enjoyed it. The rumor is that a film version is being planned for the near future, and I think I heard that Suzanne Collins (the author) is working on the screenplay. There has been much speculation about casting, particularly for Katniss, so I thought I'd join the discussion.

We shall start off nice an easy with casting for Primrose Everdeen. In the first book she is described as: Very pretty and as fresh as a raindrop, as lovely as the primrose for which she was named. Prim is 12 and this is her first reaping. Her skin and hair are fair like her mother's and she has a gift for healing.

Ladies, to the casting couch:

First up, Chloe Moretz, born in 1997. She is best known for her roles in Kick Ass and Let Me In. She may be a bit tough for Prim but in subsequent books, Prim really matures and becomes a lot stronger than she looks.

Next, we have Kiernan Shipka, born in 1999 and best known for her role as Sally Draper in Mad Men. She is really young and looks it, but would be able to mature with the role.

Finally, my personal choice, Elle Fanning. Most people still know her as Dakota's sister or don't know her at all. That is a mistake. She is every bit as talented as her older sister and her performance in Phoebe in Wonderland proved she could carry a movie. She was born in 1998.

Well, what do you think? Weigh in on these options (or provide your own) and I will be casting the rest of the main characters in the coming days.

In The Black

Went out for dinner tonight with a couple of friends. It was really nice to get together and chat after the holidays. We got to talking about finances and saving money etc. and it made me want to try to get a handle on my money situation.

I have always been able to save. I was borderline unemployed for a while in my early twenties and still managed to keep on saving. I cannot deny that I benefitted from generous family members who let me live with them at little to no cost, as well as no debt from college due to the magnanimity of this blog's namesake. So I had a clean slate. That being said, I was never a big spender anyway. My mother might argue that I am a bit tight-fisted with my money (and she wouldn't be far off the mark)

Partly because I love making a good spreadsheet, and mostly because I think this is something I really need to be better about, I have made a belated New Year's resolution: Get my $h!t together, financially speaking. This is how I plan to do that:

Step 1: Create a totally awesome spreadsheet showing monthly expenses for 2011

CHECK

Step 2: Add information to the spreadsheet for December 2010 to get things started and see where I am right now

CHECK

Step 3: Give yourself a budget for non-essentials

Work in progress

Step 4: Save more money each month until you are regularly saving at least $500/month of your income.

Pretty far off

So far so good. My spreadsheet is totally awesome, I have December's numbers in (that was really easy because I could actually just copy and paste my credit and debit card transactions directly into the spreadsheet). There was some good news, too. At the end of December, I was just over $300 in the black (I think that's the right expression) for the month. Granted, I was home in Erie for a good week of that so most of my extra expenses were paid, but that should be offset by Christmas shopping, right?

Sweded

It's official. I LOVE Swedish stuff. My adoration of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy is no secret, neither is how much I enjoyed the Swedish movies it spawned (I'll reserve judgement for when I actually see the Americanized version). There is a very simple, straight-forward style that I really appreciate, especially considering the often complicated plot.

On this blog, I also praised a Swedish horror/thriller film called Let the Right One In. What I didn't realize, until recently, is that the movie was based on a book of the same title by John Ajvide Lindqvist. I found it browsing at a book store in Erie and picked it up. It was great. Quite a bit more chilling than the film, even. Much like Larsson, this author did not mince words. He was concise and matter-of-fact. It read less like magical realism or fantasy than naturalism. There wasn't any grand melodrama, but there was real feeling. The main character, a young boy, is constantly bullied and suffers greatly. His only solace is a new friend whose secret is so terrible that the word for it is only used a few times throughout the entire story.

The horror of what occurs and the repercussions to everyone's actions are terrible. If the movie had been half as graphic as the novel, I don't know that I would have made it all the way through. Because of the style of the writing, I could stomach the gore. It really was terrible and wonderful all at once.

Wiiiiiiiii!

My big Christmas present this year was a Nintendo Wii. I know they've been around for a couple of years now, but I'm still pretty excited about it. Hands-down, the best thing is getting Netflix on my TV. I have also been playing some Wii Sports (I LOVE boxing) I'm hoping the extra activity will help me get in shape for my trip to Florida in about a month and a half. Disney World, here I come!

Seriously though, boxing and the boxing training with the Wii can get intense. Either I am way out of shape (distinctly possible) or I get way too into it, because I can feel it in my legs, arms, and the sides of my abs. I'm leaning towards the explanation that I get way too into it, because I do! It is by far my best sport (I can't hit the baseball to save my life) and the most fun. The only damper on my enjoyment is that I live in this apartment building. I know from experience that my upstairs and downstairs neighbors can hear everything, so I have to watch myself. Normally I would be trash-talking the dumb-looking Miis that I'm fighting, but all I can do now is get in a few good fist-pumps and some whispered taunts. "Suck it, Loser!" loses some of its power when not shouted. True story, try it at home.

Trash-talking or no, at least I'm kicking some serious butt!

Happy New Year!

I know it is a couple of days late, but Happy New Year! I spent about 10 glorious days in Erie, PA with family and friends. Now it is back to the old grind.

I had intended to write about my Christmas (it was great), but then something extraordinary happened...

Let me back it up a bit. My brother invited me to go to a New Year's Eve party downtown with some of his friends. I know a couple of them quite well, and had at least met all but two of the rest of them. I was really excited to have something fun to do. On a normal night I am quite happy to sit at home and watch movies, but NYE is something different. I got all dressed up (not as dressy as some, but probably right in the middle somewhere between the slinky gowns and jeggings on display) and headed to the hotel to meet up before dinner.

There was quite a bit of buzz in the lobby and later in my brother's room, about an interesting group of people attending the party. Nobody knew exactly how many ladies there were in the group, but everyone in my party had seen upwards of three at a time at various times. You may ask what caused such a stir amongst the fine folk at the Avalon. I'll tell you:

In our town of about 100,000, at a party with about 400-500 people, there were at least 10-15 Transgender women, all of whom appeared to be over 40 years of age! Upon surveying the party, it appeared that there were more Transgender women than there were African Americans or Latinos!

I did my best to educate those in my party for whom the distinction between Drag Queen, Transvestite, and Transsexual, and a boy in a dress is more than a bit difficult. My superior knowledge comes from a number of sources, primary amongst these being To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar. I may have quoted the beginning of this scene almost word-for-word. The information is invaluable.

Break it down, Noxie:

I was actually really impressed with the majority of my fellow party-goers. They pretty much took it in stride (not bad for a town just north of redneck) and a particularly tall lady (with enviable legs) in a Heidi Klume ST&S* red dress was having the time of her life and gamely posed for photos with about half of the people there.

I can only take this to mean that 2011 will be a very interesting year!

*Short, Tight & Shiny